Expertise on the way to fight fire aboard super tanker carrying crude oil off Ampara coast

By Ifham Nizam

The Indian Coast Guard, along with the ship owners from Kuwait are said to be bringing expertise to control the fire on a ship carrying crude oil off the Ampara coast.

Sri Lanka Navy, Disaster Management Centre, National Aquatic Resources Agency and others were tackling the situation at present. The ship was proceeding to India from Kuwait.

Two casualties have been reported so far from the fire, with one being trapped in the engine room where the fire reportedly erupted in the vessel 38 nautical miles off Sangamankanda, Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) said.

MEPA General Manager Dr. Terney Pradeep Kumara said that there was no news about the person trapped in the engine room.

He told The Island all precautionary measures had been taken to prevent a possible oil leak from the vessel.

The vessel was carrying 270,000 metric tonnes of crude oil and it also contained some 1,700 tonnes of diesel, he said.

“Nineteen crew members have been evacuated from the ship, while the Captain, the first and the second officers are still on board,” he added.

The Sri Lankan Navy had deployed three of its vessels while the Air Force had deployed a beach craft to assist the ship, he said

The sudden fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon.

The vessel is a Panama-registered ship ‘MT New Diamond’, according to the Navy Media Spokesperson.

The fire had not spread to the area where the main oil storage tanks were situated, he said.

The vessel was manned by a crew of 23, according to Navy spokesperson Captain Indika de Silva