A New Zealand Navy ship HMNZS Manawanui sank on the southern coast of Upolu, Samoa, after it ran aground on a reef on Saturday night. All 75 crew were evacuated, while the exact cause of the grounding is unknown. There is concern over the environmental effects, as oil is likely to spill from the sunken vessel.
The NZ Defence Force stated the incident occurred on Saturday evening while the ship was conducting a hydrographic survey 1 nautical mile from shore.
The 75 crew and passengers began evacuating into lifeboats at 7.52 pm on Saturday 5 October.
The Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand led the rescue effort. The NZ Defence Force reported that numerous vessels responded to provide assistance, and a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon was deployed to assist. The Samoa Police and Samoa Fire and Emergency Services Authority helped in bringing the 75 personnel to safety.
“Rescuers battled currents and winds that were pushing the life rafts and sea boats toward the reefs, while swells made the rescue effort particularly challenging,” the NZDF stated.
Maritime Component Commander Commodore Shane Arndell said, "We are very grateful for the assistance of everyone involved, from RCCNZ who coordinated rescue efforts, to the vessels which responded and took our crew and passengers from Manawanui to safety," .
On Sunday morning at 6:40 am, smoke was visible from the ship, which caught on fire. At 9.00am, the ship capsized and sank.
Residents in the coastal villages, two kilometres away from the reef where the naval ship ran aground, said that they could smell the diesel from the ship, reported Samoa Observer.
NZ Defence Minister Judith Collins said there will be a Court of Inquiry to establish what had happened. She said an aircraft will go to Samoa to bring the crew and passengers home to New Zealand. The government would work closely with Samoa on the environmental impact.
The New Zealand Prime Minister Chrisopher Luxon also said the focus was now on mitigating the environmental impacts.
This was HMNZS Manawanui’s third deployment to the South West Pacific this year. The ship had a series of activities scheduled including in the Kermadec Islands, Samoa, Tokelau and Niue. They sailed from Devonport on 28 September and were due to return to NZ on 1 November.
The $100 million ship, HMNZS Manawanui has been a regular visitor to Tonga, including participating in the Navy Fleet Review for the King's birthday in July, conducting surveys in 2022, and delivering medical supplies donations in 2020.
