A Royal New Zealand Navy ship has capsized and sunk in the Pacific Ocean after hitting a reef, the New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF) has said.
According to a statement released on Sunday, the hydrographic survey and diving support vessel HMNZS Manawanui ran aground near the southern coast of Samoa’s island of Upolu on Saturday evening. The vessel was on a surveying mission when the incident occurred.
The ship caught fire and subsequently capsized as onlookers saw heavy smoke coming from the vessel. “The exact cause of the grounding is unknown and this will need further investigation,” the Navy said, adding that it was working to “minimize the environmental impacts.”
All 75 people on board were rescued and taken ashore in difficult weather by Samoa’s Fire and Emergency Services Authority. Three sailors were hospitalized.
“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, as quoted by Radio New Zealand. He added that the weather was “quite rough and windy.”
A Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon was deployed to assist with the rescue operation. “We are very grateful for the assistance of everyone involved,” Maritime Component Commander Commodore Shane Arndell said.
Defense Minister Judith Collins described the loss of the ship as “a truly terrible day.” There was “not much chance” of salvaging the vessel, she said.
The Manawanui was built in 2003 and purchased by the Navy for US$63.4 million in 2018. It primarily operated as a surveyor of oil and gas deposits, but also helped with scanning the ocean floor for WWII-era munitions.