Court orders CID and MEPA to question captain and crew of troubled tanker

Saturday, 12 September 2020 00:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Oil samples and vessel data records to also be examined
CID to contact vessel’s local agent to get statements
Six tugs onsite to hold tanker held 50 nautical miles from SL coat

By Asiri Fernando

Troubled super tanker MT New Diamond trailing an oil patch which has begun to disintegrate following oil dispersant chemicals being sprayed on to it by an Indian Coast Guard aircraft. MEPA says it is yet to identify the oil and is awaiting test results. However, the Navy is confident the patch is fuel and lubricants from the gutted engine room and not crude oil – Pic by the Air Force

The Colombo Magistrate Court yesterday ordered the Marine Environmental Protection Authority (MEAP) and the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) to gather oil samples and vessel data records from the stricken super tanker MT New Diamond and to obtain a statement from the ship’s captain and crew.

The Colombo Magistrate’s Court also directed the CID to contact the vessel’s local agent to obtain statements from MT New Diamond’s crew on the fire and resulting situation.

The CID yesterday reported the MT New Diamond incident to Court on the Attorney General’s (AG) advice and sought a court order to obtain reports, records and statements from the vessel and her crew, AG’s Coordinating Secretary State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne said. MEPA had earlier lodged a complaint with the Thirukkovil Police Station regarding the tanker fire incident following the AG’s advice.

The Court has also directed the Commander of the Navy, Director General of the Coast Guard, and Merchant Shipping Authority to assist MEPA and the CID to execute the Court orders.

The super tanker, carrying 270,000 MT of crude oil, her engine room gutted and adrift, was being held 50 nautical miles (92 km) off Batticaloa last evening. Salvage experts called in by the owners and personnel from the Navy and Indian Coast Guard boarded the vessel to make assessments of her stability and damages.

The Navy deployed salvage divers to inspect the hull and assess the stability of the crude-oil-carrying behemoth, Navy Spokesman Capt. Indika de Silva told the Daily FT. The second oil patch that originated from the New Diamond was again sprayed with oil dispersant chemicals using an Indian Coast Guard aircraft, the Navy said.

Six tugs are now on the scene with the arrival of tug ‘Posh Commander’ and the tug ‘Water Lily’ to assist in towing and salvage tasks, the Navy said.

The MT New Diamond was 38 nautical miles (70 km) off Sangamankada Point on the East Coast when the distress call was issued on 2 September. The 20-year-old Panamanian-registered super tanker (330 m long) was carrying a consignment of 270,000 MT of crude oil for the Indian Oil Company from a port in Kuwait to the Indian port of Paradip when the fire broke out.

A week-long multinational effort saw the Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Russian Navy, Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard vessels and aircraft aided by tugs from Sri Lanka and overseas work in coordination to douse the fire onboard the super tanker and to tow the adrift vessel safely away from the coast.