Flames Rekindle on Sri Lanka Oil Tanker Extinguished Without Oil Spill

Sri Lanka, Indian Troops Extinguish Fire After 79-Hour Battle in Joint Operation... Recurrence Followed
Cause Diagnosis and Compensation Review Expected After Additional Damage Assessment

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Local media reported on the 8th that flames broke out again on the Sri Lankan offshore oil tanker, which was known to have been extinguished after three days.

On the 6th (local time), the Sri Lankan Navy captured aerial footage of the ultra-large crude carrier (VLCC) New Diamond, which caught fire off the eastern coast of Sri Lanka. After a three-day joint operation, the Sri Lankan and Indian forces successfully extinguished the fire on the New Diamond. Experts plan to assess the environmental impact as well as the condition of the vessel damage now that the urgent fire has been put out. AFP Yonhap News [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

The Sri Lankan Navy announced that a fire broke out again on the giant oil tanker New Diamond last night and that firefighting efforts are underway. The Navy had announced that the fire on the New Diamond was completely extinguished three days after it broke out on the 6th. The flames reappeared just one day after the fire was put out.

In a statement, the Navy said, "Strong winds caused the fire to reignite due to high temperatures and sparks on board," and that ships and other resources were deployed to extinguish the fire. It is reported that strong winds of about 70 km/h are blowing near the New Diamond offshore area.

The Panama-flagged New Diamond was carrying 270,000 tons of crude oil and 1,700 tons of diesel from Kuwait to the Paradip port in India when an explosion occurred in the engine boiler.

Earlier, the Navy had suppressed the accident, which could have led to an environmental disaster, after a 79-hour battle. Although cracks occurred on the ship due to the fire, it was stated that the damage was not severe enough to cause an oil spill.

One crew member died and two were injured in the fire accident on the ship. The vessel had 23 crew members on board, including 18 Filipinos and 5 Greeks. The deceased crew member was confirmed to be a Filipino national.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.