Super tanker fire: Damage caused to marine environment estimated at Rs 4 billion

By Ifham Nizam

In addition to Rs. 340 million sought by the Sri Lankan government for operations undertaken by its Air Force and Navy to prevent a far greater marine catastrophe, the country will seek an estimated Rs. 4 billion for the damages caused to the marine environment.  

The Insurance Company or the owners of the New Diamond Crude Oil Tanker have to pay some Rs. 4 billion as damages caused to the environment, a senior official of the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) yesterday said.

MEPA General Manager, Dr. Terney Pradeep Kumara told The Island that the process would take between one and two weeks.

He said that ship owners/insurer also had to pay Rs. 15 million for concealing information about environmental damage.

He said that Attorney General Dappula de Livera had submitted an interim claim of Rs. 340 Million to the counsel representing the owners of the stricken super tanker MT New Diamond.

According to MEPA Chairperson Darshani Lahandapura, the incident had affected marine life in Sri Lankan waters.

Laboratory tests proved there was an oil leak into the ocean, in addition to observation reports, said the MEPA Chief adding the team of experts reported the area in which the incident took place is home to turtles, Manta Rays as well as Dolphins.

“Preparing the Environment Impact Assessment report is a complex task,” said Lahandapura, noting dead marine life could possibly reach the shores of other nations.

The Government Analyst’s Department report confirmed that the oil which leaked into the ocean was the fuel used by the Crude Oil Tanker to power its engines.

According to State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne, the Coordinating Officer to the Attorney General the documented claim for costs incurred by Sri Lanka Navy, Air Force, Ports Authority, Colombo Dockyard PLC, Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) & Coast Conservation Department in providing assistance to douse and contain the fire as well as for related matters had been submitted to the MT New Diamond lawyers.

Rs. 340 Million was estimated as the expenses incurred until the 15th of September, said State Counsel Jayaratne.

The MT New Diamond tanker was transporting 270,000 metric tonnes of crude oil from the port of Meena Al Ahmadi in Kuwait to the Port of Paradip in India when a fire broke out in its engine room, killing a crew member and causing serious burn injuries to its engineer in the eastern seas of Sri Lanka on September 3, 2020.

The ship was sailing 38 nautical miles off Sangamankanda Point, Ampara when it caught fire with an explosion in a boiler in the ship’s main engine room.

The distressed oil tanker in eastern seas was manned by 23 crew members including five Greeks and 18 Philippine nationals.

It was also reported that 1,700 metric tonnes of diesel/furnace oil required for the use of the tanker were also stored onboard.

MT New Diamond is a 20-year old crude oil tanker that is 333 metres long and 60 metres wide, and sailed with a Japanese certificate. It is registered in Panama.