No oil spill from fire-hit vessel, ops on to douse blaze

Ahmedabad: No oil spill has been reported from the diesel-laden merchant navy tanker that caught fire yesterday off the Gujarat coast, an official said today.

Efforts were underway to douse the flames on the M T Genessa tanker which was carrying 30,000 tonnes of high-speed diesel, he said. The official said water sampling has not shown any oil spill so far in the Arabian Sea from the tanker, anchored 15 nautical miles off the Deendayal Port in Kandla.

The fire in the oil tanker’s crew compartment was reported last evening. The Indian Coast Guard had evacuated all the 26 crew members, two of whom suffered burn injuries. Defence PRO, Gujarat region, Abhishek Matiman today said no oil spill has been reported so far from the tanker.

“#IndiaCoastGuard fire fight still on. 03 ICGVessels, 09Tugs frm KPT,Reliance,Essar,Adani & ICG Dornier in action.Water sampling shows no Oil Spill.ICG Pollution Ctrl Vessel at site.Proactive response frm all agencies.ICGS SamudraPavak overseeing ops (sic),” he tweeted.

Matiman said the Coast Guard worked tirelessly throughout the night to avert any potential disaster. “#IndiaCoastGuard living upto their motto ‘Vayam Rakshamah’ worked tirelessly through the night, garnering & guiding resources frm Govt and pvt agencies in vicinity averted potential disaster at sea dousing fire that engulfed MT Genessa anchored off Kandla,” he wrote on Twitter.

Indian Coast Guard Interceptor Boat C-403 is at the scene and the maritime security agency’s pollution control team has been activated, an official earlier said. A Dornier aircraft has been pressed into service to ascertain the extent of the fire, he said.