New Zealand will hold a court of inquiry into the loss of the ship, which was one of nine in its navy. The cause of the disaster is not known.

New Zealand’s Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral Garin Golding, reported that all 75 people aboard the ship were safely evacuated on life rafts amid challenging conditions and darkness. The vessel, located about a mile from shore, hit a reef and started taking on water. It took the first survivors five hours to reach land.

A Royal New Zealand Navy vessel ran aground and sank off Samoa but all 75 crew and passengers on board were safe, the New Zealand Defence Force said in a statement on Sunday. Manawanui, the navy's specialist dive and hydrographic vessel,