Crude oil carrier with 200000 metric ton cargo on fire off Colombo, Sri Lanka seeks India’s help

A fully loaded Crude oil carrier MT New Diamond has caught fire off the east coast of Sri Lanka, which has dispatched an aircraft and two navy ships to help in the rescue, a Sri Lankan navy spokesman told to media on Thursday.

According to Live mint.

The New Diamond, a very large crude carrier (VLCC) chartered by Indian Oil Corp (IOC), was heading to the port of Paradip in India, where the state-run firm operates a 300,000 barrel-per-day refinery.

The ship had sailed from the port of Mina Al Ahmadi in Kuwait, carrying Kuwait Export Crude, Refinitiv Eikon ship tracking data showed.

The Sri Lankan spokesman, Commander Ranjith Rajapaksa, said the VLCC was ablaze about 20 nautical miles off the east coast. Earlier, sources had put the vessel’s location off Colombo, the capital of the Indian Ocean nation.

According to Times Now,
Fire fighting assistance has been sought by the Sri Lankan Navy from the Indian Coast Guard for fire and explosion on-board oil tanker ‘MT New Diamond’ 37 nautical miles east off Sri Lanka coast. ICG ships and aircraft have been deployed for immediate assistance, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) said on Thursday.

@IndiaCoastGuard in a swift Sea & Air Coordinated #SAR operation immediately diverted #ICG Ships Shaurya, Sarang, Samudra Paheredar & Dornier Aircraft for #FireFighting on Oil Tanker #MTNewDiamond @DefenceMinIndia @MEAIndia pic.twitter.com/Ciud4QIN4w

— Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) September 3, 2020