What's happened
The HMNZS Manawanui sank off Samoa due to human errors, marking New Zealand's first naval loss since WWII. All 75 crew members evacuated safely before the ship caught fire. An inquiry revealed the crew mistakenly believed the autopilot was disengaged, leading to the grounding on October 5.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to The Guardian, the preliminary findings of the military court of inquiry revealed that 'a series of human errors caused a New Zealand navy ship to plough into a reef off the coast of Samoa.' Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Garin Golding emphasized the need for accountability, stating, 'I want to reassure the public of New Zealand that we will learn from this situation.' Meanwhile, The Independent reported on the backlash faced by Commander Yvonne Gray, highlighting the 'misogynistic' comments directed at her following the incident. This underscores the broader societal issues that can arise in the wake of such events.
How we got here
The HMNZS Manawanui, a specialist dive and hydrographic ship, sank on October 5 while conducting a hydrographic survey off Upolu, Samoa. A military inquiry has since determined that human errors led to the incident, with the crew failing to disengage the autopilot.
More on these topics
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Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands, Savai'i and Upolu, two smaller inhabited islands, Manono and Apolima, and several small uninhabited isla
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New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It comprises two main landmasses—the North Island and the South Island —and around 600 smaller islands, covering a total area of 268,021 square kilometres.