WELLINGTON — Authorities have ended the search for 37 people missing after a passenger ferry sank in rough seas off Vanuatu, with 39 people believed to have died, an official told The Associated Press on Friday.

The decision closes the active rescue phase without resolving every question about the sinking. AP’s current report described the 39 people as believed dead rather than confirming that every missing passenger had been recovered, a distinction that matters to families and to any investigation that follows.

The ferry had been carrying passengers through waters around the Pacific island nation when it sank in rough conditions. An earlier AP report said authorities were searching for more than 30 missing people and that the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in New Caledonia and a French military aircraft were assisting the operation.

A disaster investigation will now have to establish the vessel’s condition, the weather and sea state, the number of people aboard and whether safety procedures were followed. The available reports do not yet provide a complete account of why the ferry sank or whether any failures contributed to the loss of life.

For Vanuatu, the end of the search is both a moment of mourning and the beginning of an accountability test. The immediate record is clear: a passenger ferry sank, 37 people remained missing and officials said 39 people were believed dead. The next facts will come from the recovery and investigation, not from speculation about causes.

Reporting note: this article is based on the source record listed above and is current as of 18 September 2026, 16:50 BST. Figures, operational claims and casualty counts may change as authorities update their accounts.