Sri Lankan Navy Commander visits ship Ameya, conveys appreciation for ICG efforts in saving MT New Diamond
Sep 10, 2020
Colombo [Sri Lanka], September 10 : Sri Lankan Navy Commander Vice Adm Nishantha Ulugetenne visited Indian Coast Guard ship Ameya on Thursday and conveyed appreciation for ICG efforts in saving MT New Diamond.
"Vice Adm Nishantha Ulugetenne, Commander Sri Lanka Navy visited #ICG ship Ameya at Trincomalee 10 Sep & conveyed appreciation for #ICG efforts in saving #MTNewDiamond.#ICG reiterates its solidarity resolve & commitment to co-operate with @srilanka_navy & #SLCG in maritime issues," Indian Coast Guard said in a tweet.
The Motor Tanker (MT) New Diamond oil tanker, that caught fire last week following an explosion in its engine off Sri Lanka coast, is in stable condition, and cargo of the crude oil is still intact, Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Director General K Natarajan said on Wednesday.
Talking about the operation carried out by the Indian Coast Guard, Natarajan said that this might be the first time in the maritime history that cargo is intact after such an incident.
"We got a distress call by the master of the vessel at around 12:30 pm on September 3 saying that there was a fire on board and its seeking assistance. As a result of which Sri Lankan Authorities and the Indian High Commission sought the assistance of the Indian Coast Guard. We mobilised our two ships and reached by 5 pm and started fighting fire. Sri Lankan navy reached next day and assisted," Natarajan said.
"After 72 hours the fire was doused. Today the vessel's condition is reportedly stable. The entire cargo of crude is still intact which we hope to salvage," he added.
