Sri Lanka bids to prevent possible oil leak from blaze-hit tanker

COLOMBO: A fire that broke out on a fully loaded supertanker off the east coast of Sri Lanka has been brought under control, a spokesman for the navy said, adding that one of its 23 crew was injured, Reuters reported.

“Our personnel on the scene are reporting that the fire on board the New Diamond is under control,” the navy spokesman, Captain Indika de Silva, told Reuters.

“There is no damage to the cargo area, only the engine room and some areas around it. There were 23 crew on board. We are bringing one injured crew member to Sri Lanka on board one of our vessels.”

Sri Lanka’s Marine Protection Authority said it would take measures to prevent any possible oil leak from the tanker.

The New Diamond, a very large crude carrier (VLCC) chartered by Indian Oil Corp (IOC), was carrying the equivalent of about 2 million barrels of oil, Refinitiv data cited by Reuters showed.

The carrier was headed for the Indian port of Paradip.