News
Expertise on the way to fight fire aboard super tanker carrying crude oil off Ampara coast
By Ifham Nizam
The Indian Coast Guard, along with the ship owners from Kuwait are said to be bringing expertise to control the fire on a ship carrying crude oil off the Ampara coast.
Sri Lanka Navy, Disaster Management Centre, National Aquatic Resources Agency and others were tackling the situation at present. The ship was proceeding to India from Kuwait.
Two casualties have been reported so far from the fire, with one being trapped in the engine room where the fire reportedly erupted in the vessel 38 nautical miles off Sangamankanda, Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) said.
MEPA General Manager Dr. Terney Pradeep Kumara said that there was no news about the person trapped in the engine room.
He told The Island all precautionary measures had been taken to prevent a possible oil leak from the vessel.
The vessel was carrying 270,000 metric tonnes of crude oil and it also contained some 1,700 tonnes of diesel, he said.
“Nineteen crew members have been evacuated from the ship, while the Captain, the first and the second officers are still on board,” he added.
The Sri Lankan Navy had deployed three of its vessels while the Air Force had deployed a beach craft to assist the ship, he said
The sudden fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon.
The vessel is a Panama-registered ship ‘MT New Diamond’, according to the Navy Media Spokesperson.
The fire had not spread to the area where the main oil storage tanks were situated, he said.
The vessel was manned by a crew of 23, according to Navy spokesperson Captain Indika de Silva
The Cabinet of Ministers granted their concurrence to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Youth Affairs to appoint S. Achchudan of Special Grade of Sri Lanka Administrative Service, who is currently serving as an Additional Commissioner of Elections at the Elections Commission who is
recommended by the panel of interviewers to the post of Director General of the Sports Development Department with effect form 01.01.2026.
The Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the proposal furnished by the Minister of Environment to publish the draft bill of the National Environment (Amended) Act in the government gazette notification and subsequently to submit the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Buddhism, Religious, and Cultural Affairs to provide tax relief on imported dates received as donations or gift for Ramadan.
This year’s Ramadan fasting season is scheduled to begin on 19-02-2026 and end on 21-03-2026.
Shafali, Renuka close in on top five in ICC T20I rankings
S. Achchudan appointed as Director General of the Sports Development Department.
Amendment of the National Environment Act No. 47 of 1980
Tax relief for Dates received as donations or gifts for Ramadan
Cabinet nod to establish the Sri Lanka Industrial Transformation and innovation Authority
Temporary employment of Sri Lankan labour in the State of Israel
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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