New Zealand's navy lost its first ship at sea since World War II after one of its ships ran aground off the coast of Samoa, with Defense Minister Judith Collins describing the incident as a "sad day for the navy," the BBC reports ( BBC).
The specialist ocean diving and imaging vessel Manavanui ran into trouble while surveying a reef near Upolu Island on Saturday night local time and later caught fire before capsizing.
All 75 people from the ship were safely evacuated to lifeboats and rescued early today, New Zealand's Ministry of Defense said.
Officials said the cause of the sinking is unknown and the investigation is ongoing. The incident happened during stormy and windy weather.
Military officials said rescuers were "struggling" with currents and winds pushing life rafts and sea boats toward reefs, with waves making rescue efforts "challenging."
Dave Poole, who witnessed the fire on the ship, told Reuters: "When we entered the bay we saw the ship and there was no smoke. Within 15 minutes, fire and smoke were visible. It sank soon after."
The Manavanui is the first of New Zealand's naval ships to be sunk unintentionally since the country took part in naval battles during the Second World War.
Military officials said their efforts are now turning to trying to salvage the ship and minimizing the environmental impact of the sinking.
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