Photo taken on Sept. 10, 2020 shows the trails of fuel patch on the sea off Sri Lanka's eastern coast. The Sri Lanka Navy on Thursday said that the crude oil tanks on board the MT New Diamond oil tanker which caught fire in Sri Lanka's eastern seas last Thursday remained unharmed and the fire on board the ship had been completely doused. In a statement, the navy, however, said that on Thursday morning, another fuel patch was spotted in the sea where the ship was located and it was revealed that the recent fuel patch and the one noticed on Thursday had been caused by leaks from the ship's fuel tanks and not the crude oil tanks. (Sri Lanka Air Force Media/Handout via Xinhua)
COLOMBO, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lanka Navy on Thursday said that the crude oil tanks on board the MT New Diamond oil tanker which caught fire in Sri Lanka's eastern seas last Thursday remained unharmed and the fire on board the ship had been completely doused.
In a statement, the navy, however, said that on Thursday morning, another fuel patch was spotted in the sea where the ship was located and it was revealed that the recent fuel patch and the one noticed on Thursday had been caused by leaks from the ship's fuel tanks and not the crude oil tanks.
"Following these developments, a Dornier aircraft of the Indian Coast Guard ... was flown to the area where the fuel patch was observed and dispersants were airdropped to the sea area to minimize its impact on the marine environment," the navy said.
The fuel patch is being dissolved gradually.
The MT New Diamond is carrying 270,000 metric tonnes of crude oil and was heading to the Paradip Port in India from Kuwait when a fire broke out in its engine room last Thursday, threatening to cause a massive oil spill in the Indian Ocean, while being in Sri Lanka's eastern waters.
The navy said the oil tanker is now about 40 to 41 nautical miles off the eastern coast and the disaster management operation was continuing at full steam in rough sea conditions and strong winds.
Meanwhile, a three-member team boarded the fire-damaged ship for the first time Thursday and carried out preliminary investigations. An expert team from the Sri Lanka Navy and the Indian Coast Guard is scheduled to board the ship to make an assessment for onward action. The team would deliver updates about the existing damage and safety condition of the ship in the time to come, the navy said. Enditem
