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STORY: :: New Zealand's navy vows to investigate ship sinking near Samoa but says all 75 people onboard are safe:: October 6, 2024:: Garin Golding, New Zealand Chief of Navy“I can confirm at 6:40 a.m. today (1740 GMT on October 5), the ship was listing heavily, and smoke was visible from the ship. At 9 a.m. it was known to have capsized and is now below the surface.”“At this stage, the exact cause of the grounding is unknown, and this will need further investigation. I can confirm there were 75 people on board at the time the ship ran aground, including seven civilians from scientific agencies and four foreign military personnel.”:: :: Samoa Fire and Emergency Services Authority via Facebook:: File:: Judith Collins, New Zealand Defense Minister“There will obviously be an inquiry, a court of inquiry, to establish exactly what caused this incident. I look forward to pinpointing the cause so that we can learn from it and avoid a repeat. The immediate focus right now is on mitigating the environmental impacts and salvaging what is left of the Manawanui, if that is possible.”“I think the main thing is, nobody lost their lives and that is, that is actually something of a triumph, frankly, given the very, very difficult circumstances.”Manawanui, the navy's specialist dive and hydrographic vessel, ran aground near the southern coast of Upolu on Saturday (October 5) night as it was conducting a reef survey, Collins and New Zealand’s Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral Garin Golding said. Those on board included seven civilians from scientific agencies and four foreign military personnel, according to Golding.Video and photos published on local media showed the Manawanui, which cost the New Zealand government NZ$103 million in 2018, listing heavily and with plumes of thick grey smoke rising after it ran aground. Several vessels responded and assisted in rescuing the crew and passengers who had left the ship in lifeboats.The cause of the grounding was unknown and would need further investigation, Collins said. New Zealand's Navy is already working at reduced capacity with three of its nine ships idle due to personnel shortages.