Royal New Zealand Navy Ship Manawanui, Fire and Sinking; Upolu, Samoa

Upolu, Samoa | 2024-Oct-06

Initial Notification: On Sunday, October 6, the Royal New Zealand Navy specialist diving and ocean imaging vessel, HMNZS Manawanui, ran aground, caught fire and sank approximately one nautical mile off of the south coast of Upolu, Samoa. Sea conditions at the time of sinking were 25 kt winds and 3 m waves. The vessel reportedly released approximately 200 tonnes of diesel, with 900 tonnes remaining in sealed tanks. No additional releases have been reported since the initial spill. No shoreline or floating oil have been reported. A salvage company has been hired and fuel removal operations are planned to begin in early December. The Government of Samoa, through the U.S. National Response Team, has requested technical assistance from the U.S. for responding to the wreck in their waters. NOAA ERD will provide remote support, as needed, for oil spill trajectory modeling. U.S. Coast Guard plans to send a small team to provide technical salvage and engineering expertise.