Fiji, Sept. 15 -- Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat has cancelled his planned trip to the United Nations General Assembly in New York as search and rescue operations continue following the MV Matui tragedy, with up to 30 people still unaccounted for.

Napat and his delegation were scheduled to leave for the annual UN General Assembly this Friday, but the Prime Minister said the situation required him to remain in Vanuatu.

Instead, he will travel to Santo this weekend to meet survivors recovering from the tragedy and receive first-hand briefings from response teams.

"A lot of valid questions are being asked publicly that demand answers and solutions," Napat said.

"The Government acknowledges that this situation could have been minimis...