A rescue effort is underway after a Royal New Zealand Navy ship with 78 crew on board ran aground south of Samoa.
The HMNZS Manawanui had been carrying out a reef survey on Saturday evening when it grounded near the coast of Upolu, the New Zealand Defence Force said today in a statement.
"The safety of personnel is our top priority. All of the 78 who were on board are currently in life rafts and accounted for," maritime component commander Commodore Shane Arndell said.
"The New Zealand Defence Force is working closely with the Rescue Coordination Centre (RCCNZ) who are coordinating rescue efforts."
A Royal New Zealand Air Force P8 has been deployed to provide assistance.
The ship, which was in Samoa ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting later this month, is stranded off the Sinalei Reef Resort & Spa where King Charles will be staying.
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Local man Will Iopu, who was at the hotel, told 1News he had headed to the beach around 9pm for a barbecue when he saw people looking out to the sea towards the ship.
Police arrived at the scene shortly afterwards.
"About 9.20pm I could see the first flare go up in the air and that’s when we knew things were a bit serious," he said.
"After the first flare, three minutes later a second flare went off."
Iopu said Sinalei hotel staff took one of their boats out to see if they could help. They were joined by staff from nearby hotels with boats in tow.
By 11.30pm, he said he could "see the lights on the vessel tilting on one side".
The vessel is the navy's specialist dive and hydrographic vessel able to conduct specialist missions including explosives disposal, salvaging, surveying, and underwater search and recovery.
The Manawanui was in Samoa in May conducting surveys of the Mulifanua Channel and Apia Harbour to update charts last done in 1987. In June and July, the vessel worked alongside the Australian Navy disposing of WW2 bombs and surveying areas of the sea floor in Ha’apai, in central Tonga.
