In Pics| Fire On Oil Tanker Off Sri Lankan Coast Extinguished, Major Disaster Averted

Sri Lanka's navy chief Nishantha Ulugetenna said the fire on the tanker, which the navy chief and the Indian coastguard got under control on Friday -- had finally been put out. (Image AFP)

The Panamanian-registered New Diamond, carrying over 270,000 tonnes of crude and diesel, was en-route from Kuwait to Paradip port when it issued a distress call Thursday after an engine room explosion that killed a Filipino crew member. (Image AFP)

The Indian coastguard, which deployed six ships, an aircraft and a helicopter, added on Sunday that its pollution control vessel had arrived at the site in the Indian Ocean.(Image: AFP)

Ten British and Netherlands professionals with expertise in rescue operations, disaster evaluation and legal consultation arrived to douse the fire. (Image: AFP)

Authorities said there has been no oil slick and the crack was not considered a catastrophic structural failure.(Image: ANI)

The rescue vessels doused the tanker with water to prevent fresh fires being ignited in heavy winds lashing the hot steel plates near the burnt engine room.(Image: ANI)

The tanker had suffered a crack of its hull some 10 metres (33 feet) above the waterline as a result of intense heat from the fire, officials said. (Image: AFP)

Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Centre said foreign salvage experts and insurance assessors had started examining the ship some 75 kilometres from the coast. (Image ANI)