Indian Oil’s chartered tanker catches fire off Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan
authorities on Thursday dispatched an aircraft and two navy ships to aid efforts to control a fire onboard a fully loaded oil tanker off the coast of
the island nation, a Sri Lankan Navy spokesperson told Reuters. Indian Coast Guard ships Shaurya, Sarang, Samudra Paheredar and Dornier aircraft were also diverted for fire fighting. As per latest reports, the fire has been brought under control.

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Chartered
by Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the New Diamond, a VLCC crude oil carrier, had
set sail from the port of Mina Al Ahmadi in Kuwait and was carrying Kuwait
Export Crude.

Commander
Ranjith Rajapaksa, the Sri Lankan spokesperson, said the VLCC was approximately
20 nautical miles off the coast of Sri Lanka. Earlier, sources estimated the
ship’s location to be off Sri Lankan capital Colombo.

“The Sri
Lanka air force have scrambled an observation aircraft and the navy have sent
in two ships to help with rescue efforts,” Rajapaksa told Reuters.

The Sri
Lankan Marine Protection Authority said it will take measures to prevent any
potential oil leak from the tanker, which was carrying 2,70,000 tonnes or approximately
2 million barrels of crude oil, domestic media reported.

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Sources
said that oil tanker Helen M, which was on a time charter with Reliance Industries,
had also joined the rescue efforts.

“The fire
happened at 7:45 a.m. Indian time,” the source said, adding, “The nature is
explosion and fire and serious injury to the crew. The crew wants to abandon
the ship.”