RSIPF recovers one more dead body from the MV Taimarehu

Officers of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) today recovered the dead body of a male person at Uhu Village in South Malaita, Malaita Province as the search for the 27 people missing from the MV Taimarehu continued today.

The body was washed ashore at Uhu Village and discovered by villagers this

Commander of the Police Operation Centre (POC) at the Rove Police Headquarters in Honiara, Chief Superintendent Bari Rush Saukiu says, “On receipt of the report this morning police advised the people of Uhu Village not to touch the body but wait for the search and rescue operation team on the ground as the body was already decomposed.”

“RSIPF officers engaged in the search for the missing people from the MV Taimarehu along with the Medical staff and members of the community transported the body to Afio Station on South Malaita where it was identified and handed over to his relatives,” says Chief Superintendent Rush.

He explains, “As the search for the missing people continues, the RSIPF appeals to people living in the coastal villages of West Are’are and Small Malaita to assist by checking along their coastal areas as more bodies could have been washed ashore since the tragic incident happened in the early hours of Friday 3 April 2020.”

“People are advised to call the Police Operation Centre on phones 27895 or 27893 or call the Police National Communication Centre on 999 if they discover any of the bodies. People are advised not to touch the bodies as they may have already decomposed. The bodies will be picked up by officers of the RSIPF Forensics team who are also part of the search.”

So far six bodies have been discovered from the ill-fated trip which left Honiara on the evening of 2 April 2020 bound for West Are’are when the MV Taimareho encountered heavy seas associated with the tropical cyclone Harold at that time.

The search for the rest of the missing people continues.