Fire on MT New Diamond reignited on Monday evening which was doused on Sunday by the combined efforts of Indian and Sri Lankan Navy. It is said the reignition was observed on the starboard side of the VLCC. High winds, extreme temperatures and sparks were the main factors of the reignition. Tugboats, Ships and Aircrafts of Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard as well as Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force are working in sync to contain any mishap. Fire fighting & boundary cooling efforts were intensified by the INS to contain the fire. While Salvage Team has arrived at the scene, additional assets, salvage personnel & FF equipment were also enroute.
Sri Lanka Air Force for the first time had to use a Bell 212 Helicopter to drop 1,000 Kg of Dry Chemical Powder on the MT New Diamond on Sunday and another 1,500 Kg of DCP was airdropped on Monday. Dry Chemical Powder is a dry chemical extinguishing agent used on class A, class B, and class C fires, which uses a specially fluidized and siliconized powder mix. When used effectively it would restrict the fire and stop the chain reaction with oxygen starvation by coating the surface to which it is applied. When combusted it generates Carbon Dioxide which would also help in extinguishing the fire.
Indian Coast Guard’s Fast Patrol vessels Ameya and Abheek loaded with aqueous film forming foam concentrate (AFFF), Dry Chemical Powder and Oil Spill Dispersants are in close vicinity to render assistance as required. So far no oil spill has been reported. Samudra Paheredar Ship is also present at the scene of the incident and was actively involved in the fire fighting operations. It is equipped with Ocean Boom, 4 Oil Skimmers and Oil Spill Dispersant to handle pollution response in event of an oil slick.
