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Fire Rages Aboard Oil Tanker in Indian Ocean

An explosion aboard an oil tanker off the coast of Sri Lanka on Thursday, September 3, led to a fire and at least one death, officials said.

This video shows initial response efforts to the fire aboard the MT New Diamond tanker, located 38 nautical miles off the coast of eastern Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka Navy, Sri Lanka Air Force, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, the Indian Navy, and the Indian Coast Guard joined the firefighting efforts, according to officials.

The initial explosion, in the engine room, caused the fire at around 8 am on September 3, the Sri Lanka Navy said. It killed one crew member, with the rest safely evacuated.

Officials said the ship was carrying 270,000 metric tons of crude oil and 1,700 metric tons of diesel. Amid fears of an oil spill arising from the fire, the Sri Lanka Navy said Friday this was unlikely as the fire had been contained to the rear of the ship. Credit: Sri Lanka Air Force via Storyful