Maldives Meteorological Service has stated there is very little chance that a potential oil spill from the supertanker which caught fire off the coast of Sri Lanka could affect the Maldives.
Speaking at a press conference held regarding the incident, Director of Maldives Meteorological Service Ahmed Rasheed noted there have been no reports of an oil spill from the crude oil tanker MT New Diamond, which caught fire on September 3. The director said any potential oil spill is also unlikely to affect the Maldives, considering the direction of wind and currents projected for the coming days. However, he said the centre is carefully monitoring the situation to identify any new developments which could affect the Maldives.
Speaking at the press conference, Commandant of the MNDF Coast Guard, Colonel Mohamed Saleem said the Maldives is currently on Alert Level 1 to counter any potential hazards which would arise due to the fire, adding the country is closely monitoring the latest developments. He added any oil spill reaching Maldivian waters can be identified with the help of equipment donated by the government of Japan.
The fire broke out in the engine room of New Diamond on September 3 and has spread to the bridge of the ship, which was carrying about 2 million barrels of oil. A rescue and salvage effort that also involved the Indian and Russian navies brought the fire under control on September 4, before it could reach the cargo area of the vessel. The Sri Lankan navy reported there was no immediate danger of the tanker breaking up despite a two-metre crack in the hull 10 metres above the water line.