Fire-stricken oil tanker pushed away from Sri Lankan coast

Colombo: A fire-stricken oil tanker was pushed away from Sri Lanka’s coast and into deeper waters on Saturday, rescuers said, after successfully containing the blaze during a 36-hour operation.

The Panamanian-registered New Diamond carrying 270,000 tonnes of crude had drifted dangerously close to the eastern shores of Sri Lanka since issuing a distress message on Thursday morning.

The Indian Coast Guard and the Sri Lankan navy said the 330-metre (1,000-foot) vessel was towed overnight to deeper waters some 60 kilometres (37 miles) away from the coast.

“There is no oil slick reported,” the Indian Coast Guard said after a joint effort by the two countries to contain the blaze.