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A New Zealand navy ship carrying 75 crew members and passengers caught fire and sank off Samoa, but all on board are safe, the New Zealand Defence Force said on Sunday.The Royal New Zealand Navy vessel HMNZS Manawanui ran aground near the southern coast of Upolu Island in Samoa while conducting a reef survey.Videos shared on social media show thick plumes of grey smoke rising after the vessel, which cost the New Zealand government over NZ$100m (US$63m), ran aground.

A New Zealand Navy vessel has run aground in Samoa while surveying a reef. Passengers and crew aboard a New Zealand navy ship have been dramatically rescued after their vessel ran aground off the coast of Samoa in the South Pacific, caught fire and sunk. According to the NZ defence force, HMNZS Manawanui first got into trouble at about 6:45pm on Saturday while it was conducting a hydrographic survey just one nautical mile from the shore of the island country. The exact cause of the grounding remains unknown, but it is understood the ship collided with the reef. The 75...

On Sunday, the HMNZS Manawanui, a $100 million New Zealand Navy survey and hydrograpic vessel, caught fire and sank after running aground on a reef off the coast of Samoa.It's the first Navy vessel lost by New Zealand since WWII. Thankfully, the 75 crew and passengers were safely evacuated and rescued, although several injuries were reported. All 75 crew and passengers onboard were safely rescued overnight. Two people needed hospital treatment for minor injuries, one with a dislocated shoulder and another with a hurt back."Rescuers battled currents and winds that were pushing the life rafts and sea boats toward the...

The country of New Zealand lost its first navy vessel since World War II after the HMNZS Manawanui - a $100 million survey and dive vessel commissioned in 2018 - ran aground, burst into flames, and sank off the coast of Samoa. The commanding officer was Commander Yvonne Gray, a Brit who moved to New Zealand in 2012 and joined the NZ Navy after taking a vacation to the country with her lesbian wife. She had previously served with the British Navy since 1993. Reports say that after the ship crashed into the reef, it caught fire within 15 minutes...