Apia : The New Zealand navy vessel that hit a reef off the south west coast of Upolu Island has sunk into the ocean and is not recoverable, Acting Samoa Prime Minister Tuala Tevaga Iosefo Ponafio said in a statement.
“The possibility of an oil spill is high probable (sic).”
An environmental impact assessment of the marine ecosystem and surrounding areas was being conducted by the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC), led by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), the statement said.
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) said it was also working with authorities to understand the implications and minimise the environmental impacts.
The ship ran aground in the evening of October 5 while conducting a hydrographic survey, one nautical mile from shore, the NZDF said.
The 75 crew and passengers from other government agencies onboard HMNZS Manawanui were rescued in the early hours of the following morning after a difficult rescue undertaken in the dark.
Samoa Police, Prisons and Correction Services (SPPCS) received a call at 6.58pm on October 5 from the New Zealand’s Rescue Coordination Centre in Wellington regarding a distress vessel.
The SPPCS maritime wing on-duty team dispatched small boats to the southern side of Upolu and the Nafanua III crew were recalled to assist with the rescue operation.
Samoa Fire and Emergency Service Authority (SFESA) was also alerted and responded alongside police maritime teams.
A second call from the Rescue Coordination Centre at 7.19pm said the situation was deteriorating – the vessel was taking in too much water and was sinking. The crew would be abandoning the ship and getting on life rafts.
At 7.52pm all crew and passengers began evacuating into life boats and sea boats and were transferred to vessels that responded to the rescue call and taken ashore.
At 5.00am on October 6, the SPPCS Commander confirmed all 75 members of the crew were rescued with some receiving only minor medical assistance with no casualties.
Nafanua III rescued 18 crew, 11 were rescued by LadbrogCable Vessel, 10 rescued by Ark Marine Company Ltd Vessel and 36 were rescued by SPPCS with assistance of SFESA small boats.
At 6.40am HMNZS Manawanui was listing heavily and smoke was visible from the ship. And by 9am it had capsized and sunk.
The NZDF said rescuers battled currents and winds that were pushing the life rafts and sea boats toward the reefs, and swells made the rescue effort particularly challenging.
“We are very grateful for the assistance of everyone involved, from RCCNZ who coordinated rescue efforts, to the vessels which responded and took our crew and passengers from Manawanui to safety,’’ Maritime Component Commander Commodore Shane Arndell said.
Samoa’s Acting Prime Minister Tuala Tevaga Iosefo Ponafio said he spoke with New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who expressed gratitude to Samoa for its efforts to rescue the crew, especially in difficult conditions and during darkness.
“I would also like to commend our Commissioner of Police and Commissioner of Fire, Emergency, and Rescue Services for their great efforts to rescue the crew of Manawanui,” Tuala said.
“A word must also go out to the ship’s commander for her call to abandon ship and to the crew for their courage and bravery during this difficult situation.”
New Zealand’s Defence Minister Judith Collins thanked the local rescuers for their “brave assistance”.
“Our families will be shocked at what happened, but grateful for the successful rescue,” Collins tweeted.
The NZDF said the exact cause of the grounding was unknown and further investigation was needed.
The New Atoll 
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