Large crude oil vessel bound for Paradip catches fire off Sri Lanka
1 min read . Updated: 04 Sep 2020, 05:57 AM ISTThe fire started in the engine room of the Panama-registered very large crude carrier (VLCC) MT New Diamond, which was chartered by IOC to carry 270,000 thousand tonnes of crude oil
NEW DELHI : An oil tanker carrying crude for state-owned Indian Oil Corp. Ltd’s (IOC’s) Paradip refinery from Kuwait caught fire 38 nautical miles off the eastern coast of Sri Lanka on Thursday, a company official said.
The fire started in the engine room of the Panama-registered very large crude carrier (VLCC) MT New Diamond, which was chartered by India’s largest refiner and oil marketing company to carry 270,000 thousand tonnes of crude oil.
“While all 23 crew members were evacuated from the ship, one of them is in a critical condition," said an IOC official requesting anonymity.
Indian Coast Guard, in a swift sea and air operation, immediately diverted three ships and a Dornier aircraft for fire-fighting.
The island nation’s navy also deployed three vessels and its air force pressed a Beechcraft aircraft for rescue operations.
The VLCC left Kuwait on 23 August and was slated to reach the 15-million tonne Paradip refinery in Odisha on 6 September.
An IOC spokesperson didn’t respond to Mint’s queries.
India is the world’s third-largest crude buyer and a key refining hub in Asia, with an installed capacity of more than 249.36 million tonnes per annum through 23 refineries.
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