Owner of fire-stricken ship to pay $2.3M for Sri Lankan help

26/9/2020 18:50

        The owner of a large oil tanker that caught fire off Sri Lanka's coast has agreed to pay $2.3 million to the island nation for its help in extinguishing the blaze, an official said Saturday.
        
        MT New Diamond, which was carrying nearly 2 million barrels of crude oil, was damaged by two fires in early September.
        
        Attorney General Dappula de Livera last week submitted an interim claim of $1.8 million to Greece-based Porto Emporios Shipping Inc., the registered owner of the vessel, for services provided by the Sri Lankan navy, air force, ports authority and Marine Environment Protection Authority since the ship caught fire on Sept. 3. On Thursday, he submitted another claim for $500,000 for additional services rendered to the ship.
        
        Nishara Jayaratne, the coordinating officer in the Attorney General's Department, said the owner had agreed to pay the claim in full.