New Diamond VLCC blaze extinguished,one Pinoy seaman dead

New Diamond VLCC blaze extinguished
Sam Chambers September 7, 2020 https://splash247.com/new-diamond-vlcc-blaze-extinguished/

The fire onboard New Shipping’s New Diamond VLCC off Sri Lanka’s eastern waters was finally extinguished, nearly 79 hours after the incident was reported, the Sri Lankan navy said on Sunday.

The ship was carrying 270,000 tonnes of crude oil from Kuwait to India and caught fire on Thursday when a boiler in the engine room exploded, killing one Filipino seafarer.

“Nearly 79 hours after the distress was reported, the Sri Lanka Navy and other stakeholders were able to bring the fire under control at around 3.00 pm Sunday,” the navy said in a statement.

Dry chemical powder sacks tested by the Sri Lanka Air Force proved successful in smothering the blaze.

A Singapore-based salvage firm is now working with the ship’s owner to work out what to do with the burnt ship.