The Royal New Zealand Navy ship HMNZS Manawanui ran aground off the southern coast of Samoan island of Upolu on Saturday evening local time while surveying the reef. All 78 people on board were rescued in life rafts, the navy said in a statement on the New Zealand Defence Force website.
The Samoans are now concerned about a possible oil spill, the ublication said, adding that eyewitnesses described the ship running aground, rolling over on its side, with smoke and flames coming out of it, and then sinking.
According to a local journalist cited by the portal, senior Samoan officials are monitoring the situation amid concerns about a possible oil spill.