Fire on supertanker off Sri Lanka extinguished

Fireboats battle to extinguish a fire on the Panamanian-registered crude oil tanker New Diamond, some 60 kms off Sri Lanka's eastern coast where a fire was reported inside the engine room. (AFP)
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  • The fire broke out in the engine room on Thursday morning and spread to the bridge of the ship
  • The New Diamond is carrying about 2 million barrels of crude oil, although a senior Sri Lankan navy official said on Friday there was no real risk of a spill

COLOMBO: A fire on a supertanker abandoned off Sri Lanka’s east coast has been extinguished, a Sri Lankan navy spokesman said on Sunday.
“The fire on the oil tanker has been doused. However we are continuing to spray water in case it reignites,” Captain Indika De Silva told Reuters.
The New Diamond is carrying about 2 million barrels of crude oil, although a senior Sri Lankan navy official said on Friday there was no real risk of a spill.
The fire broke out in the engine room on Thursday morning and spread to the bridge of the ship.