Supertanker owners pay Rs 442 million, cost of putting out the fire

By AJA Abeynayake

The owners of the supertanker MT New Diamond, which caught fire last month in Sri Lanka’s waters, have paid Rs. 442 million for the cost of extinguishing the fire.

This amount has been paid for the expenses incurred by the government agencies which had contributed to dousing the fire.

State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne told The Island, that the payment, however did not cover the cost of marine pollution caused by the stricken supertanker.

Jayaratne said that the Attorney General had informed Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) that negotiations pertaining to claims for marine pollution caused by MT New Diamond were pending and other claims had not been settled.

Compensation would have to be paid for the marine environmental damage caused by diesel leak from the vessel after a major fire in its engine room incapacitated it, she said.

The ship is currently being towed away in defiance of a directive by the MEPA and advice of the Attorney General.

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) has allowed the MT New Diamond to leave Sri Lankan waters despite the MEPA saying earlier the ship cannot leave.

The MEPA earlier informed the Attorney General that MT New Diamond would be permitted to leave only after ongoing negotiations over oil pollution were completed.

A panel of scientists appointed by MEPA submitted an interim report to the Attorney General and confirmed there had been marine pollution as a result of the oil leak from MT New Diamond.

The Colombo Magistrate’s Court had also imposed a travel ban on the captain of the MT New Diamond oil tanker.

The New Diamond, which was carrying 270,000 metric tonnes of crude oil from Kuwait to the Indian port of Paradip, was sailing 38 nautical miles off Sangamankanda Point, Ampara when it caught fire on Sept 3 due to an explosion in a boiler in the ship’s main engine room.

The fire was completely put out on Sept 9 after a combined operation by Sri Lanka Navy, Sri Lanka Air Force, MEPA and the Indian Coast Guard.

The AG’s Department urged the Colombo Chief Magistrate to remand the Captain of the vessel fearing he would flee, but the request was turned down.