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Air Force spokesman Dushan Wijesinghe says photos taken from the air show the size of the accident. The ship was carrying crude oil from Kuwait. One of the crew members is missing and at least two are reportedly injured.
– We have been forced to suspend attempts to control the fire due to poor visibility., he affirms.
According to Reuters, the vessel, a very large crude oil transport (VLCC), is loaded with 2 million barrels of oil.
Indika Silva, a spokeswoman for the Sri Lankan navy, said the fire started in the engine room and spread from there. Four warships were dispatched to assist the super tanker, and by the time they arrived, 19 crew members had boarded the lifeboats. These were collected.
When the ships began extinguishing the fires, the captain and two others also disembarked, he says. It is feared that the missing crew member has lost his life in the engine room.
Two Russian navy ships anchored in a Sri Lankan port are heading for the tanker. Indian Coast Guard aircraft and ships are also on the way.
When the fire broke out, the Panama-registered vessel was about 70 kilometers off the east coast of Sri Lanka.
