The New Zealand Navy's specialist dive and hydrographic vessel, HMNZS Manawanui, ran aground near the southern coast of Upolu in Samoa, in what the country's Defence Minister Judith Collins described as "a really sad day for the Navy."
My thoughts this morning are with the officers, crew, and passengers on the HMNZS Manawanui. Many thanks to the Samoan people for their brave assistance.
— Judith Collins (@JudithCollinsMP) October 5, 2024
Our families will be shocked at what happened, but grateful for the successful rescue.
I will be joined by Chief of Navy for a…
The incident happened when HMNZS Manawanui, which is a specialist diving and ocean imaging vessel, was conducting a reef survey. This is reportedly the first time since World War II that a ship of the Royal New Zealand Navy lost a ship unintentionally at tea.
HMNZS Manawanui, a $100 million multi-purpose vessel of the Royal New Zealand Navy, recently ran aground off the coast of Samoa while conducting a reef survey. The ship caught fire and sank, but all 75 crew and passengers were rescued safely in lifeboats.
— Western @ netLIKEtheSKY 🇺🇸💫🐍🔥🌞✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️ (@Skyrocket9994) October 6, 2024
The village was aground,… pic.twitter.com/mv38USM8hu
The ship caught fire and eventually capsized.
NZ Keystone Cop Navy.
— John Metzner (@JohnRMetzner) October 6, 2024
🇳🇿🛳 New Zealand $100 million navy ship sinks off Samoa
The Royal New Zealand Navy vessel HMNZS Manawanui used for surveying, explosive disposal, and search and recovery ran aground and capsized off the coast of Upolu Island in Samoa.
It then caught fire… pic.twitter.com/HL02MPNBkQ
"As we came into the bay we saw the ship and no smoke. Within 15 minutes fire and smoke were visible. It sank shortly after," news agency Reuters quoted a witness as saying.
"It bewilders me as to why he was there. I know it's a scientific research boat but he shouldn't have been that close to the reef. There's no reason to be that close to the reef, not with the amount of swells that was around," a Samoan local who saw the ship sailing close to the reef before it ran aground was quoted as saying by RNZ.
All the people on board, including seven scientists and four foreign military personnel, were safely evacuated, Commodore Shane Arndell, the maritime component commander of the New Zealand Defence Force, said in a statement.
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"The New Zealand Defence Force worked closely with Maritime New Zealand's Rescue Coordination Centre (RCCNZ) which coordinated rescue efforts. Several vessels responded and assisted in rescuing crew and passengers. A Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon was also deployed," Arndell said.
Samoa’s acting Prime Minister Tuala Tevaga Iosefo Ponifasio said on Sunday that there is a high probability of an oil spill due to the sinking.
