Injured seaman rescued from oil tanker on fire

An injured seaman aboard the crude oil tanker currently ablaze off Sangaman Kanda coast has been rescued by the Sri Lanka Navy and is being brought ashore, said Navy Spokesman.

The remaining 19 members of the crew have been rescued by a passing vessel and currently no person is aboard the ship on fire, the Navy further said.

An oil tanker chartered by Indian Oil Corp (IOC) caught fire 38 nautical miles off Sangaman Kanda coast in Ampara.

An aircraft of the Sri Lanka Air Force and 03 vessels of the Navy were deployed to help in the rescue effort.

The fully loaded New Diamond, a very large crude carrier (VLCC), was heading to the port of Paradip in India where state-run IOC operates a 300,000 barrel-per-day refinery.

It had sailed from Mina Al Ahmadi in Kuwait, Refinitiv Eikon ship tracking data showed.

Marine Protection Authority said steps will be taken to prevent any possible oil leak from the tanker which is carrying 270,000 tonnes of oil.

No immediate comment was available from IOC or Kuwait Petroleum Corp.

-With inputs from agencies