Disaster management teams successfully brought the fire, which reignited aboard MT New Diamond as a result of adverse weather, under control by morning hours of today (09th September 2020). There are no flames or smoke to be noticed as of now and the distressed ship is being towed further away towards safe waters by a tug. Accordingly, the distressed oil tanker is now about 37 nautical miles off Sangamankanda Point and the disaster management operation is continuing at full steam in rough sea conditions and strong winds.

As a result of the concerted efforts of the disaster management teams, the fire resulted by adverse weather onboard the MT New Diamond has been successfully controlled to a greater extent by now. Meanwhile, the disaster management teams are making a lot of effort and continuing the mission ahead, using fire extinguishing agents and water.

Ships, aircraft and tugs belong to the Sri Lanka Navy, Sri Lanka Air Force, Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and other stakeholders are continuing their disaster management operations to supress the fire resulted by adverse weather, onboard the MT New Diamond again. As a result of the incessant effort of the mission partners, the flames have been reduced to a certain extent as of now.

The disaster management teams were able to douse the fire onboard MT New Diamond by 3.00 p.m. yesterday. Further, they have been working in full swing to continue disaster management operations to prevent a recurrence of fire, using fire smothering agents like water and chemicals.

Sri Lanka Navy and other disaster management teams were able to bring the fire onboard the crude oil tanker MT New Diamond under control by 3.00 p.m. yesterday (06th September 2020). However, due to the high temperature inside the ship and environmental factors there is a possibility of a return of the fire. Therefore, the vessels and craft dispatched for disaster management efforts continue to engage in boundary cooling on the fire engulfed oil tanker.

The MT New Diamond crude oil tanker was transporting 270,000 metric tons of crude oil from the port of Meena Al Ahmadi in Kuwait to the Port of Paradip in India when a fire broke out aboard in the eastern seas of Sri Lanka on 03rd September 2020 at around 0800 hrs. The ship was sailing 38 nautical miles off Sangamankanda Point when it caught fire with an explosion in a boiler in the ship's main engine room.

The Sri Lanka Navy and other stakeholders continue to use extinguishing agents and water to augment firefighting and inflict boundary cooling on the ill-fated oil tanker, in full swing. This operation is carried out in safe waters 40 nautical miles (about 74 km) away from land and it was joined by the tug 'Ocean Bliss' at midnight on 05th September 2020.

The distressed vessel is now about 40 nautical miles (about 74 km) away from the shore and Sri Lanka Navy and other stakeholders continue to engage in firefighting and inflict cooling effect on fire-stricken oil tanker using fire extinguishing chemicals and water, at peak of their efficiency. Meanwhile, two (02) more Indian Coast Guard Ships - Ameya and Abheek joined this consolidated operation this afternoon.

The distressed vessel had reached about 20 nautical miles shorewards yesterday (September 4, 2020) at 1800 hrs. However, with continuous efforts of the Sri Lanka Navy and other stakeholders, the fire was contained and the ALP Winger tug was able to take the distressed oil tanker 40 nautical miles (about 74 km) away from the shore.

The fire onboard MT New Diamond has been successfully contained into a greater extent and it lies about 35 nautical miles at 5.30 a.m. As a result of the combined operation the ill-fated oil tanker has been secured from all sides. Although the ship had reached a distance of about 20 nautical miles by 1800 hours yesterday (04^th September 2020), the ALP Winger, a tug, began taking the ship to the deep sea as fire was contained.