No evidence of major fuel spill on Samoan reef where New Zealand navy ship sank

Associated Press

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Samoa’s deputy prime minister says there’s no evidence of a major fuel spill on a Samoan reef after a New Zealand navy ship sank. All 75 people on board the HMNZS Manawanui evacuated safely as the boat foundered early Sunday. The ship was one of only nine in New Zealand’s navy and was the first the country lost at sea since World War II. Samoan Deputy Prime Minister Tuala Tevaga Iosefo Ponifasio had earlier said a fuel spill was “highly probable.” But he said Tuesday there was no evidence of oil spilling except for a small amount contained using specialized equipment. New Zealand will hold a court of inquiry into the loss of the ship.