Sri Lanka: Massive fire on a stricken oil tanker extinguished, one dead

Sri Lankan Navy on September 6, said that a massive blaze aboard an oil tanker that has been burning since, September 3, has been extinguished. International salvage experts are taking look at the damage and are speculating fear of an environmental disaster if there is a leak. According to international media reports, one Filipino crew member has died after the boiler in the main engine room burst into flames causing the fire. All other persons on board, 22 in total, have been successfully rescued from the vessel that is reported to be loaded with 270,000 metric tons of crude oil. In a statement, Sri Lankan Navy chief Nishantha Ulugetenna said Sri Lankan Navy and Indian Coast Guard had controlled the fire on September 4 and had finally been put out.

 While talking to the media Vice Admiral said, the fire has been completely extinguished, but the tanker’s plates are still hot so, there is a risk of reigniting new fires. A team of British and Netherland professionals arrived on September 6, to evaluate the disaster and Dutch firm Smit Salvage had commissioned the experts and was also sending two tug boats from Singapore and Mauritius for help.

Read: Sri Lanka: One Dead As Firefighters Battle Blaze Aboard Panamanian Oil Tanker

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Thick black smoke

As per the reports, the photos and video showed thick black smoke released into the atmosphere from one corner of the Panamanian vessel MT New Diamond located 38 nautical miles (70 kilometers) off Sangamankanda Point in southern Sri Lanka. According to the Marine Traffic, a global shipping monitoring agency, the 20-year-old vessel was heading to the Indian port of Paradip from Ahmadi in Kuwait. Sri Lankan Navy Captain Indika Desilva was reported to have said that the fire was "still on" as of September 4 morning.

Sri Lankan and Indian personnel collectively responded to fire. In response to the initial distress signal from the ship, Sri Lanka dispatched four ships that picked up members of the crew who had escaped the tanker on lifeboats. Since then, the firefighting efforts have been joined by three boats from Sri Lanka, two ships from India, Indian coast guard aircraft and two Sri Lankan tug boats. In addition, two Russian anti-submarine warfare ships that were docked at Hambantota port have also joined rescue operations.

(Image credit: IndiaCoastGuard/ Twitter)

Read: Oil Tanker Carrying Crude From Kuwait To India Catches Fire Off Sri Lanka

Read: Experts Join Efforts To Salvage Burning Tanker Off Sri Lanka