A New Zealand Navy ship has sunk off the coast of Samoa – the first time they have lost a ship since World War Two – with the Defence Force working to “minimise the environmental impacts”.
HMNZS Manawanui was conducting a tropical reef survey when it came into trouble approximately one nautical mile from the island of Upolu on Saturday night, the maritime component commander of the New Zealand Defence Force said in a statement.
It then caught on fire before it capsized. All 75 crew and passengers were rescued by Samoa’s fire and emergency services.
All were taken away on lifeboats, with three needing hospital treatment once they arrived on land.
HMNZS Manawanui has sunk
Reuters
“They’re all on land. They are safe and sound apart from just a few individuals that… have some minor injuries, and so we treated them at the site and transferred them to the hospital,” Samoa fire commissioner Tanuvasa Petone said.
A Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon was also deployed to assist in the rescue.
The cause of the sinking is currently unknown and further investigation will be needed to determine the reason.
“This is a ship that, unfortunately, is pretty much gone,” Judith Collins, the New Zealand Defence Minister, told a press conference.
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HMNZS Manawanui was conducting a tropical reef survey when it came into trouble
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“This could have been a truly terrible day,” if there had been a loss of life, she said. “But actually it is a bad day.”
It occurred during a bout of bad weather, with rescuers “battling” currents and winds which pushed lifeboats towards the reef, making the operation “challenging”.
The New Zealand Defence Force said it was “working with authorities to understand the implications and minimise the environmental impacts”.
Commander Yvonne Gray ultimately made the decision to abandon the ship, a move branded as life-saving by Rear-Admiral Garin Golding, the chief of the Royal New Zealand Navy.
All 75 crew and passengers were rescued by Samoa’s fire and emergency services
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“She made the decision and it was the right decision,” he said.
Dave Poole, who witnessed the ship ablaze, said: “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.”
It is the first naval vessel to be unintentionally sunk since the country engaged in warfare during World War Two.
The King will visit Samoa later this month for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which begins on October 21.