NEW DELHI (INDIA) – The Sri Lankan navy said on Thursday it has towed a fire stricken supertanker further out to sea to prevent it from drifting to the coast after wind picked up momentum and changed direction.
Loaded with 2 million barrels of crude, the vessel was 50 nautical miles (95 km) from the east coast of the island nation and was moving in a northerly direction, Indika de Silva, the navy spokesman, said.
The damaged vessel has stoked fears of an ecological disaster when there were two oil slicks nearby. But later it turned out to be the result of escaping marine fuel oil and not leaking crude.
Last Thursday, a fire broke out in the engine room of the New Diamond supertanker, which is Greek-owned and the flames were believed to have been extinguished on Sunday. However, a day later, they were reignited.
The navy has ruled out the chances of another fire outbreak after a team of experts visited the ship on Wednesday.
New Shipping Ltd, the manager of the Panama-flagged New Diamond, has roped in SMIT Singapore Pvt Ltd as its salvage expert, said de Silva.
A preliminary probe by the salvage team revealed the presence of toxic gas around the vessel as well as inside.
The island nation’s Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) has said it will initiate action against the owner of the ship under the country’s laws to protect the marine ecosystem.
A Dornier aircraft of the Indian Coast Guard sprayed chemical dispersants on the oil slicks.