Panama-flagged tanker fire re-ignites off Sri Lanka

India sent additional quantities of chemicals on Tuesday, September 8, to fight the fire that resumed on Panama-flagged New Diamond oil tanker loaded with 270,000 tons of crude, says the Sri Lankan Navy, in whose coastal waters the incident developed.

“As a result of the relentless efforts of the relief mission partners, the flames have been somewhat reduced, for the time being,” the navy said in a statement.

The fire, which started last Thursday, was believed to be extinguished on Sunday, but resumed on Monday due to strong winds in the area.

As the fire grows , there are fears of a new oil spill in the Indian Ocean, after the one that took place with another Panama-flagged tanker in Mauritius last month.

So far according to the experts of the rescue teams, there are no indications of a hydrocarbon leak from the New Diamond , which also carries 1,700 tons of diesel in its warehouses to fuel its engines.

On Monday, six rescue experts and eleven professionals specialized in disaster management, sent by the Greek owners of the ship, arrived at the ship is located, about 55 kilometers from a coastal village, Sangamankanda Point

Under the Panamanian flag, the New Diamond is owned by a Liberian-registered company, Porto Emporios Shipping Ing., But is managed by the Greek shipowner New Shipping Limited.

Temperatures remain too high at the stern of the tanker to allow getting on board, said the Dutch company Smit Salvage, specialized in ship rescue and rescue, hired by the owners.

“Once the situation is considered stabilized and safe, we will be able to inspect the ship,” the company said. They expect to tow it to a safer place and transfer the cargo to other tankers.

Nineteen vessels from Sri Lanka and India, are involved in the firefighting operations.