A flotilla of tugs, coastguard ships and an air force helicopter continued battling on Friday for a second day to extinguish the fire ravaging a fully laden VLCC in the Indian Ocean.
Missions are still underway “to get the tense situation under control” on board the 300,000-dwt New Diamond (built 2000), the Sri Lanka Navy said.
Sri Lankan authorities and the Indian Oil Corp, which has the vessel under charter, regard the incident as “an urgent matter of national importance”, according to the statement.
Fire-extinguishing chemicals were rushed to the site in an effort to douse the flames on board the New Shipping-owned VLCC.
In a previous statement on the morning of 4 September, the Sri Lanka Navy said there was no risk of the New Diamond leaking oil at that moment, since the fire engulfed the superstructure at the rear without affecting its crude storage area.
A later statement published on the navy’s website, however, did not repeat the assertion.
“Arrangements have … been made to tow the New Diamond to the deep sea at any moment, as soon as the fire onboard gets under control,” the navy said.
Meanwhile, the distressed tanker has been moving closer to Sri Lanka's shores.
The New Diamond was 38 nautical miles (70.4 km) off the island when an explosion ripped though its engine room at about 8am local time on 3 September, killing one Filipino seaman.
By 11am on 4 September, the ship was just 22 nautical miles off the coast.
The New Diamond's remaining crew of 22 seafarers and officers have been all accounted for and rescued. Most are Filipinos but there were also five Greeks on board.
To assist rescue operations, Adam Polemis-led New Shipping hired an anchor handling tug supply vessel, the 19,000-bhp ALP Winger (built 2007), from ALP Maritime Services.
Other harbour tugs, coastguard ships and naval vessels from Sri Lanka, India and Russia have taken part in the battle to prevent what has the potential to become an environmental disaster.
“The Sri Lanka Navy, the Sri Lanka Coast Guard, the Sri Lanka Ports Authority and the Marine Environment Protection Authority and other stakeholders are geared up to take necessary steps to mitigate and manage the risk of possible oil spill in future due to this disaster,” the navy said.
The New Diamond was heading to Paradip in eastern India from Mina Al Ahmandi in Kuwait when the blast occurred.
The ship is classed by Japan’s ClassNK, and is covered by the West of England protection and indemnity club.
