Seventy-five people from the Royal New Zealand Navy ship HMNZS Manawanui are set to return to Auckland tonight after being rescued from the vessel, which sank near Samoa.
The crew and passengers are being flown back on a Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130J Hercules plane, which had earlier delivered medical teams and cleanup supplies to Samoa.
The ship ran aground on a reef, leading to the evacuation of everyone on board. After returning to New Zealand, the crew will stay at Defence facilities overnight, where they will be given medical checks and debriefings. They will reunite with their families tomorrow afternoon.
A second Hercules aircraft, which transported freight to Samoa earlier today, is also on its way back to New Zealand. Meanwhile, a Court of Inquiry is being set up to investigate the incident. Rear Admiral Garin Golding, the Chief of Navy, assured that full support, including medical and psychological care, was being provided to the personnel affected by the ship’s sinking.
The Navy is also working with Samoan authorities to reduce any potential environmental impact caused by the incident.
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