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COLOMBO: Authorities for the tanker that caught fire off eastern Sri Lankan waters appeared to have neglected the crew’s warnings of a possible fire on board, a Sri Lankan Court you’ve heard.
The Panama registered MT (Motor Tanker) New Diamond, a Greek-owned vessel chartered by the Indian Oil Corporation, was carrying nearly two million barrels of crude oil from Kuwait’s Mina Al Ahmadi port to the Indian port of Paradip when it caught fire off the coast of Sangamankanda in the Ampara district last Thursday. One Filipino crew member died and another was injured in the accident.
The fire was put out in a joint operation by Indian and Sri Lankan forces last Sunday. But a new fire broke out within hours due to extreme heat and high winds. After the second fire was brought under control Wednesday, the tanker was towed off-site.
According to the Lankan Navy, a narrow patch of diesel was noticed on Monday night, one km from the ship, and dispersants were sprayed by an Indian Coast Guard aircraft to minimize potential damage to the marine environment.
State authorities requested judicial permission to obtain oil samples on board the ship to carry out tests and verify that the visible oil leaks in the surrounding maritime zone were those of the tanker.
The oil slick near the ship is between 10 and 30 meters wide and approximately nautical mile long.
During the hearing in the case on Thursday, state attorneys told Colombo’s chief magistrate that tanker authorities appeared to have neglected warnings from the crew about the possibility of fire on board. They had not been able to see the activation of the firefighting equipment aboard the tanker.
The court allowed the Marine Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA) to board the tanker and ordered authorities to obtain samples of the crude stored inside the tanker and copies of the vessel’s data records.
The court also ordered Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to record statements from the 22 crew members, including the Captain, of the tanker, which is currently 45 nautical miles (83 km) off the east coast of Sri Lanka.
The Attorney General had previously advised concerned officials to compile a cost report for Sri Lanka in fighting the fire.
The MEPA had said it plans to take action against the ship’s owner under the country’s laws to protect the marine ecosystem.
