The New Diamond crude tanker after an onboard fire was extinguished on September 6, 2020.
Colombo, Sri Lanka:
India on Tuesday sent fresh supplies of fire fighting chemicals to help fight a new fire at a damaged tanker loaded with a massive cargo of crude oil off the east coast of Sri Lanka.
The New Diamond has been burning since Thursday, and a large fire believed to have been extinguished on Sunday was reignited due to strong winds on Monday, raising fears of another environmental disaster in the Indian Ocean.
Rescuers and salvage experts have said there is no sign of a leak at the Panama-flagged supertanker, which was carrying 270,000 tons of crude and another 1,700 tons of diesel fuel.
To step up rescue efforts, an Indian Coast Guard plane was expected to bring dry chemical powder on Tuesday, which would then be dropped by helicopters onto the ship, the Sri Lankan navy said.
Six salvage experts and 11 disaster management professionals transported by the New Diamond’s Greek owners were brought to the vessel on Monday, about 34 miles (55 kilometers) from the coastal village of Sangamankanda Point, the marina said.
SMIT, a Dutch salvage company, said the stern was still too hot and unsafe to board the ship for an inspection.
“Once the situation is considered stable and safe, we will be able to inspect the ship,” SMIT told AFP in The Hague.
The company said there was a possibility to tow the tanker to a safer location and remove the cargo.
“At this time, there are no signs of a leak. However, due to the unpredictable situation, the above may change and the details, including the final destination and timing, are unknown,” he added.
Nineteen vessels from India and Sri Lanka were involved in the fight against the New Diamond fire, which reportedly started after an explosion in the boiler room that killed a member of the Philippine crew on Thursday.
The remaining 22 crew members were rescued.
The ship was on a journey from Kuwait to the Indian port of Paradip.
“As a result of the relentless effort of the (rescue) mission partners, the flames have abated to some extent as of now,” the Sri Lankan navy said in a statement.
The Sri Lanka Marine Environment Protection Agency (MEPA) will visit the area to test water samples for contamination, authorities said.
MEPA has said legal action could be taken against the owners, Liberia-registered Porto Emporios Shipping Inc, “if the worst happens and the ship breaks down.”
The New Diamond is much larger than the Japanese bulk carrier MV Wakashio, which crashed into a reef off Mauritius in July, spilling more than 1,000 tons of oil into the island nation’s crystal clear waters.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
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