Charred New Diamond arrives in the UAE

The charred New Diamond VLCC has made its way to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after a long journey under tow across the Indian Ocean.

Photos obtained by Splash show the vessel arriving at anchorage in Fujairah on Sunday morning. The 20-year-old tanker’s cargo of crude will be removed and shipped onward to client, Indian Oil Corp, while the badly burnt ship is likely to be deemed too old to warrant repairs with experts suggesting it will head for demolition.

The fully laden New Shipping-controlled tanker suffered a boiler explosion on September 2, resulting in a sizeable fire centred around its accommodation block. India and Sri Lanka deployed significant resources to douse the blaze.

Another damaged tanker in the headlines is the Syra aframax, which hit a mine in Yemeni waters on October 2, incurring significant damage. The ship, owned by Thanassis Martinos-led Eastern Mediterranean Maritime (Eastmed), was refused to berth in the UAE and has now headed for Qatar for repairs.