Summarised by Centrist
The New Zealand Navy’s HMNZS Manawanui has sunk after running aground on a reef off the southern coast of Samoa. The ship, which was on its third deployment this year, was carrying out a reef survey when it became stranded about 1 nautical mile off the coast of Upolu.
All 75 passengers and crew were safely evacuated using life rafts and inflatable boats after unsuccessful attempts to free the vessel. Once abandoned, the HMNZS Manawanui caught fire, capsized, and sank by 9am on Sunday morning.
It took five hours for the first survivors to reach shore, with some boats flipping on the reef. “Three people required hospital treatment,” according to Samoa’s fire commissioner Tanuvasa Petone, with injuries ranging from a dislocated shoulder to a back injury.
According to a Defence Force spokesperson, “the crew’s welfare and environmental protection are top priorities.” A dive team is also being sent to assess how to salvage the ship, which now lies underwater.
Meanwhile, the environmental impact of the ship’s sinking is being evaluated. Defence Minister Judith Collins stated it’s too early to speculate on the cause of the grounding but confirmed that a Court of Inquiry will investigate what went wrong.
The cost to replace the HMNZS Manawanui is expected to exceed $129m, adjusted for inflation from its 2018 purchase price of $103m.
