There are fears for the environment in Samoa after the "shocking" sinking of New Zealand Navy vessel on Saturday night, with residents on the south coast of Upolu fearing a potential oil or chemical spill.
The New Zealand defence force has launched a full inquiry into the sinking of the 85-metre HMNZS Manawanui, which sank after striking a reef off the coast of Samoa approximately two km south of the village of Siumu.
All 75 personnel onboard - which the ABC reports included seven scientists and four non-NZ military personnel - made it to shore after Captain Yvonne Gray ordered the crew to abandon ship via life rafts and other smaller vessels.
However, there are no fears the ship will cause an environmental disaster after the stricken vessel - NZ's first naval loss during peacetime and its first since World War II - caught fire and sank on Sunday morning.
Defence minister Judith Collins told Newstalk ZB the top priority now all the crew had been safely reduced was "the environmental side".
"It's got a lot of oil on board. It's got all sorts of things. It's got lubricating oil, hydraulic oil, diesel … it's got a lot of stuff in it," she said.
"I don't think we can leave it like that."
She said it was unclear if the ship could be taken off the reef.
Local resident Manu Percival told RNZ there were fears the disaster could have a devastating impact on tourism, as well as on local marine life and food for locals.
"The impact is crazy, there's so many green sea turtles in that area, so many stingray," he said, noting it was in the area where the grass the turtles eat grows.
"Where the ship went down, just inland from it is a huge lagoon...and it houses all sorts of animals...they're all going to be affected."
He said the oil swept down the coast quickly and said the area where the boat sank was known to be treacherous.
"There's a huge wave right where it crashed. Any locals, they go right round that stuff...where it crashed."
The manager at Coconuts Beach Club at Maninoa, Brian Rose, told RNZ they were concerned about the impacts the disaster would have on the lagoon - a major tourist attraction with its turtle population.
"So far it looks like the impact directly on our shores has been minimal, but we know that with tides and currents things change and so we're going to keep an eye out to make sure if there's any problems that we know about them and prevent our guests from getting in the water if it's going to be unsafe," he said.
"We have a large population of sea turtles that swim around our lagoon and people enjoy…I'm hoping that nothing happens to them."
On Sunday morning, the Samoan Observer reported locals in Siumu and Sa'anapu were dealing with the "strong, pervasive odour of oil," coming from the sunken vessel.
