Fire on oil tanker off Sri Lanka extinguished after 3 days
COLOMBO : COLOMBO A fire on a large oil tanker drifting off Sri Lanka’s coast was extinguished on Sunday after burning for three days, as a team of experts moved to salvage the vessel, the country’s navy said.
Four tugboats, three Sri Lankan navy ships and six Indian ships battled the fire on the MT New Diamond since Thursday. Five Sri Lankan coast guard ships and gunboats also took part in the effort.
“As of now, the fire has been completely extinguished,” the navy chief, Vice Adm. Nishantha Ulugetenne, said in comments that were broadcast on local TV channels. But he cautioned that there is a risk of another fire erupting due to the heat of the ship’s iron plates.
