Oil tanker heading to India from Kuwait catches fire off Sri Lanka

Top Stories

Embracing the bright side: A guide on how to cultivate optimism

The power of solitude: Why you should go on a solo trip

How to get your kids to read: Essential tips for parents

fire, oil tanker, new diamond, sri lanka, india, kuwait, crude oil

This handout photograph taken on September 3, 2020, and released by Sri Lanka's Air Force, shows black smoke coming out from the Panamanian-registered crude oil tanker, MT New Diamond, some 60 kilometres (38 miles) off Sri Lanka's eastern coast where it reported a fire inside the engine room

Colombo - One Filipino crew member is missing following the incident on New Diamond, while another was injured.

By AP

Published: Sat 5 Sep 2020, 1:53 AM

A fire broke out on a large oil tanker off the eastern coast of Sri Lanka on Thursday, leaving one of its 23 crew members missing and another injured, a navy spokesman said. Both were identified as Filipinos.
Also read: Video: Sri Lanka Navy in dramatic rescue of captain of oil tanker on fire
The fire started in a boiler in the engine room and then spread in the MT New Diamond, which was carrying 270,000 tonnes of crude oil from the port of Mina Al Ahmadi in Kuwait to the Indian port of Paradip, spokesman Capt. Indika Silva said.

Sri Lanka deploys Navy and Air Force assets to help fight supertanker fire as ship drifts off eastern Sri Lanka with 270,000 tons of crude oil and 1700 tons of fuel oil on board @AsiriFernandoLK #SriLanka @srilanka_navy @airforcelk pic.twitter.com/ik9G28wllh
- Sri Lanka Global (@srilankaglobal) September 3, 2020

The navy sent four ships to help the ship. By the time they arrived, 19 of the crew members had left on lifeboats and were picked up by the ships, Silva said.
As the navy ships tried to put out the fire, the captain and two others abandoned the tanker, he said. The remaining crew member, a Filipino, was missing. The crew was comprised of 18 Philippines and five Greek citizens.
The injured crew member was identified as the third engineer of the ship and a Filipino. He was taken in a navy boat to land and was hospitalised, Silva said.
Photos released by the Sri Lankan air force showed smoke rising from the engine room of the ship but no visible damage or fire in other areas of the vessel.

#Video: #SriLanka Navy in dramatic rescue of captain of oil tanker on fire #Newdiamond https://t.co/GinrX2uCaI
- Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) September 3, 2020

He said two anti-submarine Russian ships anchored at a Sri Lankan port were also heading to the scene. The Russian ships had arrived at Hambantota port for replenishment and crew rest.
The Indian coast guard said it also deployed ships and aircraft after the Sri Lankan navy sought its help.
Silva said an Indian coast guard ship had reached the tanker and was dousing the fire and another Indian coast guard ship and three Indian naval ships were the way.
At the time the fire broke out, the Panamanian-registered ship was about 38 nautical miles (70 kilometres) east of Sri Lanka.

#SAR #ICG ship Shaurya reached scene of incident & #FireFighting commenced #MTNewDiamond off #Srilanka. Continuous spraying of water & foam using external fire fighting system for extinguishing fire and boundary cooling in progress. CG Dornier Aircraft in area for assessment. pic.twitter.com/WhwKvOsqqW
- Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) September 3, 2020