Wellington  - Tongan police on Thursday released the names of more people who drowned on the sunken ferry Princess Ashika, including new details of three foreign nationals.

The foreign nationals include two 28-year-old Germans and a French woman. The Germans were identified as Christian Langanke, a male, and his traveling companion Diana Gmeinder.

The French woman was identified as Pauline Henry. Her age has not been released.

Police have now released the names of 70 people confirmed missing at sea out of 72 missing persons.

The total number of people who were on board the Princess Ashika was revised down by one person to 128.

Of this number, 54 people survived, 2 bodies were recovered, and 72 remained missing at sea, according to the press statement.

Tongan police told the German Press Agency dpa that they would release details of a Frenchman they suspect to be Pauline Henry's travelling companion once they were able to confirm his presence on the vessel.

The French nationals, of similar age, had arrived on the island together and checked into accommodation, and several people claimed to have sighted them elsewhere, a police spokesman said.

Authorities had shown a photograph of the Frenchman to the 54 survivors, but they could not recall seeing him on board or on the wharf.

"Given the scale of the tragedy, we're not surprised that the survivors cannot identify this passenger. However, we hope to be able to release further details officially some time in the next few days," the policeman said.

The investigator also told dpa that a Hungarian national may have been on board.

He said the man appeared to be about the same age as the other foreign nationals identified Thursday.

Most of the passengers on the sunken ferry were Tongan, although the first list of missing passengers released last week identified one foreign national as well as several citizens of other Pacific island countries.

Australian and New Zealand search teams last week ruled out the possibility of finding more survivors. (dpa)