One Filipino crew member was confirmed to have died in an engine room explosion (Reuters)
Colombo, Sri Lanka:
A Panamanian-registered oil tanker burned uncontrolled for a second time off Sri Lanka on Friday, elevating fears of a serious new oil spill within the Indian Ocean.
Sri Lankan navy and India coastguard fired water cannon whereas an air pressure helicopter dropped water on the drifting New Diamond.
Extra Indian navy vessels have been heading to the scene to assist combat the blaze on the tanker which was carrying 270,000 tonnes of crude and 1,700 tonnes of diesel.
One Filipino crew member was confirmed to have died in an engine room explosion on Thursday which sparked the alert, the Sri Lankan navy mentioned.
The opposite 22 crew — 5 Greek and 17 Filipino – have been taken off the 330-metre (1,080-foot) vessel and the fireplace had not unfold to the cargo by mid-morning Friday, officers mentioned.
The ship was on its means from Kuwait to the japanese Indian port of Paradip when it issued a misery sign 60 kilometres (38 miles) from Sri Lanka’s east coast.
As the fireplace grew, the stricken vessel drifted about 10 kilometres nearer to the shore, Sri Lankan officers mentioned.
India’s coastguard mentioned there was a two-metre crack within the New Diamond‘s hull about 10 metres above the water line.
Each India and Sri Lanka have deployed reconnaissance planes to trace the ship, officers mentioned. Nonetheless, Sri Lanka’s Catastrophe Administration Centre mentioned there was no speedy hazard of a spill.
“It’s not as unhealthy because it appears,” DMC head Sudantha Ranasinghe instructed AFP. “The hearth has not unfold to the cargo. As soon as the fireplace is put out, the vessel will likely be towed additional away into deeper waters.”
He mentioned authorities have been contemplating a ship-to-ship switch of the crude earlier than salvaging the tanker.
– Maldives concern catastrophe –
The vessel is bigger than the Japanese bulk service MV Wakashio, which crashed right into a reef in Mauritius in July leaking greater than 1,000 tonnes of oil into the island nation’s pristine waters.
Sri Lanka’s neighbour Maldives has raised considerations doable oil spill from the New Diamond might trigger critical environmental harm.
The Maldives depends upon fisheries and tourism and the nation has one of many world’s finest coral eco programs.
Maldivian minister on the president’s workplace, Ahmed Naseem, referred to as for precautionary measures within the Indian Ocean archipelago of 1,192 coral islands.
The Maldives is situated about 1,000 kilometres (625 miles) southwest of Sri Lanka.
“Maldives wants to observe this oil spill fastidiously and take all precautions to stop it from reaching her shores,” Naseem mentioned on Twitter. “This may very well be a serious catastrophe.”
(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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