The interim interim Court of Inquiry report into the sinking of the HMNZS Manawanui off the coast of Samoa in October has been released, finding human error was to blame.
The Navy vessel sank after running aground on a coral reef off the coast of Upolu, Samoa, before catching fire on October 6.
All 75 of its crew and passengers were safely evacuated.
The vessel’s sinking raised concerns about damage to the local environment, with many worried that leaking fuel could taint their food source.
The ship was carrying around 950 tonnes of diesel and, earlier this month, local authorities said about 200,000 litres of fuel had leaked from the sunken wreckage.
On Monday last week, the Defence Force said it had engaged Pacific 7 Limited and Bay Underwater Services NZ Lt to remove, recover, and dispose safely of fuel and other pollutants on board the vessel.
This process was expected to begin at the start of December, despite the Defence Force previously saying it was expected to begin in November.
Equipment was expected to leave on a salvage vessel this week, with an estimated sailing time of up to 11 days.
The Navy bought the ship in 2018. It was previously used as a survey vessel for work in the oil and gas industry and was not built to be a military vessel.
It entered service for the Navy in 2019 and, until its sinking, was used for harbour and coastal surveying, underwater explosive disposal, underwater search and recovery, and limited mine countermeasures.
