Eight vessels, two aircraft deployed to help control fire on supertanker off Sri Lanka coast

The tanker MV New Diamond, which was chartered by the Indian Oil Corporation, was carrying 300,000 tonnes of oil from a Kuwaiti port to Paradip port in India

India has deployed eight vessels and two aircraft to help control the fire on a supertanker off the Sri Lankan coast, people familiar with developments said on Friday.

Following the fire and an explosion, at least one member of the 23-strong crew of the tanker was reported missing and presumed dead, a Sri Lankan Navy spokesman said (INDIAN COAST GUARD/TWITTER)

The tanker MV New Diamond, which was chartered by the Indian Oil Corporation, was carrying 300,000 tonnes of oil from a Kuwaiti port to Paradip port in India.

Following the fire and an explosion, at least one member of the 23-strong crew of the tanker was reported missing and presumed dead, a Sri Lankan Navy spokesman said.

India has deployed five vessels from the Coast Guard and three from the navy to assist efforts by Sri Lankan authorities to control the blaze, the people cited above said on condition of anonymity.

The Coast Guard ship ICGS Shaurya, equipped with a water gun, was diverted on Thursday to spray water on the burning tanker.

The Coast Guard’s Samudra Pahredar, a pollution control vessel, was dispatched from Vishakapatnam on Thursday, while ICGS Sujay was deployed from Chennai, the people said.

The Coast Guard ships Abheek and Ameya were deployed on Friday.

Two Dornier aircraft of the Coast Guard were deployed for aerial reconnaissance flights, and the Indian Navy diverted three warships, Shakti, Sahyadri and Ranvijay, to help in efforts to douse the flames.

Experts have expressed concerns that the fire could result in massive environmental damage, especially if the ship breaks apart and there is an oil spill.

The Coast Guard tweeted that a two-metre crack had been spotted on the aft portion of the tanker at 10 metres above the waterline.

The crew of the New Diamond, which is registered in Panama, included five Greek nationals and 18 Filipinos.

The fire broke out in the vessel’s engine room on Thursday and spread to the bridge. The missing Filipino crew member was seriously injured when a boiler exploded.