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Reuters

A supertanker carrying about 2 million barrels of oil is on fire in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Sri Lanka, spokesmen for the country’s navy said on Thursday, adding that one of its 23 crew was missing and another injured.
Navy spokesman Captain Indika de Silva said flames had spread to the New Diamond’s bridge, but there was no damage to the cargo area.
“We will need an international effort,” de Silva said.
Earlier navy personnel at the scene had reported the fire was under control, but a new fire had since broken out.

A statement released late on Thursday by the navy said the New Diamond, a very large crude carrier (VLCC), was crewed by five Greek and 18 Philippine nationals.
One Philippine national was injured and another was missing following the fire, the statement said. Two Russian anti-submarine ships and four Indian ships were assisting in the operation.
Authorities “are taking steps to mitigate and manage the risk of possible oil spills in future due to this disaster”, the statement said.
The New Diamond, chartered by Indian Oil Corp (IOC), was fully loaded with about 2 million barrels of oil, Refinitiv data showed.
Photographs taken by Sri Lanka’s air force showed extensive damage to the tanker’s funnel, and thick black smoke and flames coming from the bridge, which is just behind the cargo area.


Another spokesman, Commander Ranjith Rajapaksa, said the VLCC was ablaze about 20 nautical miles off the east coast of Sri Lanka and that the military had sent an aircraft and two ships to assist.
On Twitter, India’s coastguard said it had sent several ships and aircraft to help fight the fire.
New Diamond sailed from the port of Mina Al Ahmadi in Kuwait, loaded with Kuwait Export Crude, Refinitiv Eikon tracking data showed. It was heading for the Indian port of Paradip, where state-run IOC has a 300,000 barrel-per-day refinery.
Sri Lanka’s Marine Protection Authority said it would take measures to prevent any possible oil leak from the tanker.
Cargo ship feared capsized near Japan as Typhoon Maysak batters region
Such a spill could cause an “environmental disaster”, Ashok Sharma, managing director of shipbroker BRS Baxi in Singapore, said.
“No double-hull VLCC has spilled oil to date, but [it] depends on the damage to the ship,” he added.
Thursday’s incident happened just over a month after a state of “environmental emergency” was triggered by the spill of about 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil from a Japanese bulk carrier, MV Wakashio, when it ran aground on a reef in Mauritius.
De Silva said some of the New Diamond’s crew were rescued by oil product tanker Helen M, which an industry source said was on a time charter with India’s Reliance Industries.

“The fire happened at 7.45am India time,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “The nature is explosion and fire and serious injury to the crew.”
In a statement, the vessel’s insurer, West of England, said: “We can confirm that these two vessels are entered in the West of England. The Club is liaising closely with our members and the relevant authorities and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”
The second vessel referred to was the Gulf Livestock 1, sailing to China from New Zealand with 43 crew and nearly 6,000 cattle that sank off Japan on Thursday.
IOC, Reliance Industries and Kuwait Petroleum Corp had no immediate comment.


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Environment

Tanker with 2 million barrels of oil catches fire off Sri Lanka

Black smoke rises from the oil tanker New Diamond, about 60km off Sri Lanka's eastern coast on Thursday. Photo: Sri Lankan Air Force handout via AFP

This handout photograph taken on September 3, 2020, and released by Sri Lanka's Air Force, shows black smoke coming out from the Panamanian-registered crude oil tanker, MT New Diamond, some 60 kilometres (38 miles) off Sri Lanka's eastern coast where it reported a fire inside the engine room. - At least 20 crew were rescued from a burning Panamanian-registered oil tanker off the coast of Sri Lanka on September 3, the navy said. Three naval craft were sent to aid the MT New Diamond which reported an engine room fire, Sri Lanka navy spokesman Captain Indika de Silva said. (Photo by - / Sri Lankan Air Force / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / SRI LANKAN AIR FORCE " - NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

An injured crew member of the New Diamond, a very large crude carrier (VLCC) chartered by Indian Oil Corp (IOC), is seen being taken to an ambulance by navy officials, in Kalmunai, Sri Lanka September 3, 2020. REUTERS/Stringer NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES

‘Ticking time bomb’ warning for decaying tanker off Yemen, loaded with 1.1 million barrels of crude oil

The floating tanker is a Japanese-made vessel built in the 1970s and sold to the Yemeni government in 1980s to store up to 3 million barrels pumped from oilfields. Photo: AP

This satellite image provided by Manar Technologies taken June 14, 2020, shows the FSO Safer tanker moored off Ras Issa port, in Yemen. Houthi rebels are blocking the United Nations from inspecting an abandoned oil tanker moored off the coast of Yemen loaded with more than one million barrels of crude oil. UN officials and experts fear the tanker could explode or leak, causing massive environmental damage to Red Sea marine life. (Maxar Technologies via AP)

This image provided by I.R. Consilium taken in 2019, shows the deck of the FSO Safer, indicating the lack of basic maintenance for several years, leading to incidental smaller spills, moored off Ras Issa port, Yemen. Houthi rebels are blocking the United Nations from inspecting the abandoned oil tanker loaded with more than one million barrels of crude oil. UN officials and experts fear the tanker could explode or leak, causing massive environmental damage to Red Sea marine life. (I.R. Consilium via AP)

This image provided by I.R. Consilium taken in 2019, shows the external piping system of the FSO Safer and the hose failure that led to a spill, moored off Ras Issa port, Yemen. Houthi rebels are blocking the United Nations from inspecting the abandoned oil tanker loaded with more than one million barrels of crude oil. UN officials and experts fear the tanker could explode or leak, causing massive environmental damage to Red Sea marine life. (I.R. Consilium via AP)

Massive oil spill prompts largest protest in Mauritius in 40 years

A protest over the governments handling of the Wakashio oil spill in Saint-Louis, the capital of Mauritius. Photo: EPA-EFE

epa08634140 People during a protest over the governments handling of the Wakashio oill spill in Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, 29 August 2020. Citizens and various political parties denounced the government's handling of the Wakashio case. Its estimated 39 dolphins and whales have washed up dead on the beaches of Mauritius in the past three days. According to Greenpeace Africa the carcasses have been taken for post mortem analysis to establish cause of death and if there is a connection with the oil spill from the MV Wakashio, a Japanese owned Panama-flagged bulk carrier after it ran aground off the southeast coast of Mauritius spilling more than 1000 tons of fuel. EPA-EFE/LAURA MOROSOLI

Oil from Japanese ship that ran aground off Mauritius could kill mangrove forests

A part of the Japanese-owned bulk carrier MV Wakashio which ran aground off Mauritius. Oil which leaked from the ship can potentially kill the mangrove forests on the island. Photo: Reuters

This handout picture taken on August 22, 2020 and received from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on August 25 shows a JICA expert confirming oil drifting in swamps where mangroves live in Mauritius. - The major oil spill caused by a Japanese ship that ran aground in Mauritius may pose a long-term threat to the region's ecology, including to the Indian Ocean island's delicate mangroves, Japanese experts said on August 25. (Photo by Handout / Japan International Cooperation Agency / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / JAPAN INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AGENCY" - NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

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One Filipino crew member injured and another missing from the New Diamond, navy says
Ships from Russia and India helping to battle blaze



One Filipino crew member injured and another missing from the New Diamond, navy says; ships from Russia and India helping to battle blaze.


Transport and logistics

Energy

The Philippines

Sri Lanka

Tanker with 2 million barrels of oil catches fire off Sri Lanka

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} One Filipino crew member injured and another missing from the New Diamond, navy says Ships from Russia and India helping to battle blaze

One Filipino crew member injured and another missing from the New Diamond, navy says

Ships from Russia and India helping to battle blaze