New Zealand Navy ship HMNZS Manawanui capsizes one nautical mile from shore

Monday, October 7, 2024

New Zealand Navy ship HMNZS Manawanui ran aground one nautical mile from the shore of Samoa on Saturday evening. She was reportedly conducting an aquatic terrain survey. She reached shallow water, ran aground, and caught fire. At 6:40 a.m. local time (1940 UTC) Sunday there was visible smoke billowing from the ship, and at 9 a.m. local time (2200 UTC) Sunday the ship was fully underwater, according to an official update from the New Zealand Navy.

At 7:52 p.m. local time (0852 UTC on October 7), evacuation of the people on board began and all were successfully taken ashore. They were rescued with assistance from the Rescue Coordination Centre (RCCNZ) and a Royal New Zealand Airforce Boeing P-8 Poseidon. A Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130J went to Samoa on Sunday evening to deliver additional staff on site to provide “medical and welfare” support and assist with clean up, and to subsequently transport 72 of the rescued people back to Auckland on Monday evening. The remaining three people would return to New Zealand on a commercial flight on Tuesday.