A New Zealand navy ship, HMNZS Manawanui, grounded and sank off Samoa's coast Sunday, raising environmental concerns. A fuel spill is "highly probable," according to Samoa's acting Prime Minister Tuala Tevaga Iosefo Ponifasio. The incident occurred on Sunday morning, with all 75 aboard, including civilians and foreign military staff, safely evacuated. This marks New Zealand's first naval loss at sea since World War II.
The ship ran aground on a reef about a mile from shore, and passengers faced "challenging conditions" during the nighttime evacuation, New Zealand Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Garin Golding reported. Some survivors walked across the reef to reach safety. The vessel, a 20-year-old specialist dive and hydrographic ship, was deployed for reef surveys off Samoa's Upolu island. New Zealand Defense Minister Judith Collins mentioned that a power failure likely caused the grounding.
New Zealand is launching a court of inquiry to determine the accident's cause. Concerns over the nation's military equipment have been previously raised, with reports labeling the navy as "extremely fragile." Images from the shore showed the ship listing before submerging completely, accompanied by a smoke plume. Collins expressed doubts about salvaging efforts, noting, "This is a ship that unfortunately is pretty much gone." (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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