Following the fire onboard the New Diamond VLCC, Sri Lanka confirmed that it will seek compensation for the fire fighting efforts and also plans to charge the captain of the burnt vessel.
To remind, the vessel was battling with fire for about seven days, when salvage experts managed to board.
Sri Lanka estimated that the compensation will reach the $2 million approximately, including the costs and efforts by the Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, Ports Authority, the Marine Environment Protection Authority, and others.
They reportedly presented a a bill to the Liberian-registered Porto Emporios Shipping as the owner of the vessel and New Shipping Limited of Greece which was acting as the manager.
The total expense was reported to be have been through September 15, but is not yet finalized as some of the country’s assets remain deployed near the tanker and the vessel is still in the vicinity of Sri Lanka.
Moreover, the Attorney General’s office stated that it believes there is sufficient grounds to bring charges against the captain of the New Diamond. They are reportedly pursuing charges against under the country’s marine pollution act as well as for criminal negligence.
Sri Lanka has reportedly been against any efforts to tow the tanker into its ports and fearing an oil spill is also opposed to efforts to pump the crude oil to another tanker.
