Fuel tanker on fire reaches Sri Lankan coast - Operation continues

The Sri Lanka Navy, Sri Lanka Air Force, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard continues to work together to contain the spread of fire erupted on board the oil tanker, MT New Diamond on 03rd September 2020. Currently it is located in the deep sea about 25 nautical miles from Sangamankanda Point.

The ship is heading towards the east coast and the Navy, Air Force, Ports Authority, Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard have launched a joint operation to control the fire.

The control room at the rear of the ship is still on fire, and the area where its crude oil is stored has not yet been affected.

Accordingly, an MI 17 helicopter of Sri Lanka Air Force has been carrying out a number of aerial operations, to contain the raging flames by showering water from the skies. Meanwhile, the beach craft is conducting periodic air surveillance to spot the spread of fire remaining in air and render necessary assistance.

Further, Sri Lanka Navy Ships Sayura, Sindurala and Ranarisi with 02 Fast Attack Craft continues to conduct disaster relief operations with a view to manage the calamity.

Meanwhile, the spread of fire from the superstructure at the rear of the ship towards the crude oil storage facilities has been contained to a greater extent.

Upon controlling the spread of fire, the two tugs ‘Rawana’ and ‘Wasamba’ of Hambantota International Port Group together with ALP ‘Winger’ tug made ready by the foreign company that owns the ship in distress are making arrangements to tow the ill-fated oil tanker away from the shore towards deep sea.

Since the spread of fire on this ship has been controlled without allowing it to reach the oil storing areas, there is no risk of oil leakage from the vessel to the sea so far.

Meanwhile, a Sri Lanka Coast Guard Ship and a Fast Attack Craft bringing fire extinguishing chemicals needed to quash the blazes are rushing to the scene of action as of now.

The General Manager of the Marine Environment Protection Authority, Dr. Turney Pradeep Kumara, said that there was no fuel leak so far from the fire.

 Dr. K. Arulanandan, Head of the Oceanography Division of the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) regarding the impact of a fuel leak on this vessel.

He said he did not believe the oil spill could have a severe impact on the East Coast region as the winds and currents in the deep sea where the ship is currently heading were moving towards the Bay of Bengal.

When inquired about this, the Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera stated that the necessary discussions are being held to take necessary action in the event of any damage to the coastal area or the eastern seas due to a fuel leak in the ship. (Hiru news)

The fire was still raging on the New Diamond tanker carrying about 2 million barrels of oil, said the spokesman, Captain Indika de Silva. There were 23 crew on board, one of whom is presumed dead. The rest have been taken off the ship by the Sri Lankan navy, with one injured crew member flown to the capital Colombo for treatment. There were no signs of an oil leak from the vessel, de Silva added. Ships from the Russian navy and the Indian coastguard have been assisting in the firefighting. The fire that broke out in the engine room of the New Diamond on Thursday morning had spread to the bridge of the ship, chartered by Indian Oil Corp (IOC) (IOC.NS), though it has yet to reach the cargo area, the Sri Lankan navy said.

Initially, the ship was stranded 38 km (24 miles) east of the Sri Lankan town of Thirukovil, but drifted within 25 km of the coast after being abandoned. Authorities were now towing it eastward, away from the coast, de Silva said. Thirukovil is a town in Sri Lanka’s Ampara district that was badly battered by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Arugam Bay, a world-renowned surfing spot, is nearby. “The missing Filipino sailor is presumed dead. He was badly injured when a boiler exploded,” de Silva told Reuters, citing crew who were rescued. “There were 5 Greek and 18 Philippine nationals among the crew. One of them was injured and he was airlifted out of the ship and the rest were accounted for.” While there are no signs of a leak, Sri Lanka’s meteorology department has already modelled the impact of 70,000 tonnes of crude oil - a quarter of the ship’s cargo - spilling into the ocean. The simulation, a worst case scenario according to authorities, found that such a spill would not immediately threaten the country’s east coast. But Dharshani Lahandapura, chair of Sri Lanka’s federal Marine Environment Protection Authority, told Reuters that any spill from the ship would be catastrophic for marine life. “It will be a huge environmental and economic disaster if this happens,” she said. The 1989 oil spill from the Exxon Valdez, considered one of the worst human-caused environmental disasters, spewed about 37,000 tonnes of crude into waters off Alaska. The New Diamond had sailed from the port of Mina Al Ahmadi in Kuwait, loaded with Kuwait Export Crude, Refinitiv Eikon tracking data showed. It was heading for the Indian port of Paradip, where state-run IOC has a 300,000 barrel-per-day refinery. (reuters.com)