Business Standard

Fire on supertanker off Sri Lankan coast extinguished: Navy spokesman

The New Diamond is carrying about 2 million barrels of crude oil, although a senior Sri Lankan navy official said on Friday there was no real risk of a spill

Fire fighting assistance has been sought by Sri Lanka Navy from India Coast Guard for fire and explosion on-board oil tanker 'MT NewDiamond' 37 nautical miles east off Sri Lanka coast. ICG ships and aircraft deployed for immediate assistance.

The fire broke out in the engine room on Thursday morning and spread to the bridge of the ship.

Reuters COLOMBO

By Waruna Karunatilake

COLOMBO (Reuters) - A fire on a supertanker abandoned off Sri Lanka's east coast has been extinguished, a Sri Lankan navy spokesman said on Sunday.

"The fire on the oil tanker has been doused. However we are continuing to spray water in case it reignites," Captain Indika De Silva told Reuters.

The New Diamond is carrying about 2 million barrels of crude oil, although a senior Sri Lankan navy official said on Friday there was no real risk of a spill.

The fire broke out in the engine room on Thursday morning and spread to the bridge of the ship.

 

 

(Reporting by Waruna Karunatilake in Colombo; Writing by Alasdair Pal; Editing by Frances Kerry)

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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First Published: Sep 06 2020 | 8:32 PM IST

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