A Filipino seaman, onboard the MT New Diamond, an oil tanker caught on fire while sailing 38 nautical miles off Sangamankanda Point east of Sri Lankan seas yesterday morning, had died in a boiler explosion, the Navy said.
They said Sri Lanka Navy, Sri Lanka Air Force, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard are currently working together to control the fire that erupted after an explosion of a boiler in the main engine room of the oil tanker.
Accordingly, an MI17 helicopter of Sri Lanka Air Force carried out several aerial operations, until the sunset of the previous day, in which water being spilled on the ship caught fire to control the flames. Meanwhile, a beach craft is conducting periodic air surveillance and a Dornier aircraft of the Indian Coast Guard also monitored the disaster situation from the air.
