A raft of questions in the wake of the sinking of our first naval ship in peacetime.

The HMNZS Manawanui went down off the coast of Samoa yesterday, after hitting a reef off the island of Upolu the night before.

The $100 million vessel had been surveying the area.

All 75 people onboard were rescued before the vessel went down. 

Defence Minister Judith Collins told Mike Hosking large quantities of oil were onboard, so they can't be left there.

“We’ve got to find out exactly the depth of the water that it’s in. Divers had been sent out last night, and they’ll be having a look but it’s going to be quite a big job, I think.”

She says we need to get to the bottom of what happened.

“Defence has got its own divers going out to sea, they’ll be other people involved in that, and they have to work as well through the Samoan government.”

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