COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan Navy with the help of Indian ships he was fighting for the second day on Friday to put out a large fire on a tanker carrying crude from Kuwait to India that left one of its 23 crew members dead.
The Sri Lankan navy confirmed on Friday that a Filipino sailor was killed in a boiler explosion in the engine room of the Panama-registered tanker MT New Diamond that caught fire Thursday.
The navy said 22 of the 23 crew members had been safely rescued from the tanker.
The tanker was carrying 270,000 metric tons of crude oil from Kuwait to India when its engine room caught fire off the coast of Sangamankanda in the eastern Ampara district.
The Navy said that so far the 270,000 metric tons of crude it was transporting had not been affected by the fire.
“Measures are currently being taken to stop the spread of the fire to the cargo,” it said in a statement.
The Sri Lankan Navy is also taking steps to ensure that there are no oil leaks into the sea from the tanker.
The ship in distress is in waters 23 nautical miles off the eastern coast, where the depth of the sea is measured at 3,100 meters.
The operation to put out the fire was resumed this morning under the supervision of the Greek national captain of the tanker.
The Indian naval frigate INS Sahyadri It started operations at 0200 on Friday.
The Navy said two more Indian coast Guard vessels will join the rescue operations.
The Indian Coast Guard said Thursday it pressured three of its ships and a Dornier plane after the Sri Lankan navy sought help to control the fire on board the tanker.
In a swift search and rescue (SAR) operation coordinated by sea and air, the Coast Guard said it immediately diverted ICG vessels Shaurya, Sarang and Samudra Paheredar, as well as a Dornier aircraft for the shooting on the tanker. The Sri Lankan navy said the two Russian ships that were docked at the Hambantota port since August 31 and sent to the area to join the rescue operations departed Sri Lankan waters this morning.
On Thursday night, MV Helen, a ship sailing in the area, rescued 3 Greeks and 16 Filipino crew from the distressed ship.
The Navy spokesman said at least four ships had been dispatched to carry out the rescue operation.
The warships were dispatched from the eastern port of Trincomalee and the southern port of Hambantota.
At the time the fire broke out, the Panama-registered ship was about 38 nautical miles (70 kilometers) east of Sri Lanka.
On video: a tanker chartered by the Indian Oil Corp with 2 million barrels of oil catches fire off Sri Lanka, the coast guard deployed for help
The Sri Lankan navy confirmed on Friday that a Filipino sailor was killed in a boiler explosion in the engine room of the Panama-registered tanker MT New Diamond that caught fire Thursday.
The navy said 22 of the 23 crew members had been safely rescued from the tanker.
The tanker was carrying 270,000 metric tons of crude oil from Kuwait to India when its engine room caught fire off the coast of Sangamankanda in the eastern Ampara district.
The Navy said that so far the 270,000 metric tons of crude it was transporting had not been affected by the fire.
“Measures are currently being taken to stop the spread of the fire to the cargo,” it said in a statement.
The Sri Lankan Navy is also taking steps to ensure that there are no oil leaks into the sea from the tanker.
The ship in distress is in waters 23 nautical miles off the eastern coast, where the depth of the sea is measured at 3,100 meters.
The operation to put out the fire was resumed this morning under the supervision of the Greek national captain of the tanker.
The Indian naval frigate INS Sahyadri It started operations at 0200 on Friday.
The Navy said two more Indian coast Guard vessels will join the rescue operations.
The Indian Coast Guard said Thursday it pressured three of its ships and a Dornier plane after the Sri Lankan navy sought help to control the fire on board the tanker.
In a swift search and rescue (SAR) operation coordinated by sea and air, the Coast Guard said it immediately diverted ICG vessels Shaurya, Sarang and Samudra Paheredar, as well as a Dornier aircraft for the shooting on the tanker. The Sri Lankan navy said the two Russian ships that were docked at the Hambantota port since August 31 and sent to the area to join the rescue operations departed Sri Lankan waters this morning.
On Thursday night, MV Helen, a ship sailing in the area, rescued 3 Greeks and 16 Filipino crew from the distressed ship.
The Navy spokesman said at least four ships had been dispatched to carry out the rescue operation.
The warships were dispatched from the eastern port of Trincomalee and the southern port of Hambantota.
At the time the fire broke out, the Panama-registered ship was about 38 nautical miles (70 kilometers) east of Sri Lanka.
On video: a tanker chartered by the Indian Oil Corp with 2 million barrels of oil catches fire off Sri Lanka, the coast guard deployed for help
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