Singapore-flagged container ship ablaze off Sri Lanka threatens chemical, oil spill
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Published May 26, 2021, 06:12 PM
COLOMBO (BLOOMBERG, XINHUA, REUTERS) - The Sri Lankan authorities were on Wednesday (May 26) trying to douse a massive fire that has raged for six straight days aboard a container ship near Colombo's coast, to avoid a chemical as well as an oil spill.
Firefighters were still trying to bring the flames on the Singapore-registered ship called X-Press Pearl under control, after it intensified following large explosions the previous day.
Five tugboats were fighting the fire, aided by a Sri Lankan navy ship anchored nearby, the Associated Press reported.
The blaze, which had spread to the quarterdeck where the ship's bridge is located, was being exacerbated by strong winds due to changing weather conditions, the Sri Lanka Navy said.
The fire was first reported by the crew last week.
The crew members are safe and have been evacuated, according to the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.
Several containers from the vessel, however, had tumbled into the sea and are believed to have sunk.
"We are trying our best to extinguish the fire as it broke out again due to the continuous reaction of the chemical materials in the containers and adverse weather," Mr Rohitha Abeygunawardena, minister of ports and shipping said in a statement on Tuesday.
"We have made plans to carry out future activities in a manner that does not harm the country's seas and marine environment."
X-Press Pearl, sailing with a Singapore flag, was carrying 1,486 containers containing 25 tonnes of nitric acid, other chemicals and cosmetics on board. It had been en route to Singapore from the port of Hazira in India, via Colombo.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) confirmed that the vessel was registered in the city. An MPA spokesman said there were no Singaporeans on board.
X-Press Feeders, which owns the ship, said specialised fire-fighting equipment has been brought in from Europe to reinforce salvaging operation.
<p>epa09228665 A handout photo made available by the Sri Lankan Air Force Media showing the Singapore-registered container vessel MV X-Press Pearl on fire in the 9 nautical miles northwest of Colombo port in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 26 May 2021. A fire broke out on the container vessel anchored about 9.5 nautical miles (18km) northwest of Colombo awaiting entry into the port. The Sri Lanka Navy said the explosion was caused by chemicals being transported on the ship carrying over 1,000 containers, including 25 tonnes of nitric acid and other chemicals from the port of Hazira, India. The 25-member crew were evacuated by the Navy on 25 May, while two injured members were hospitalized and one was tested positive for Covid-19. EPA-EFE/SRI LANKAN AIR FORCE MEDIA HANDOUT HANDOUT HANDOUT</p>
PHOTO: SRI LANKAN AIR FORCE MEDIA
<p>The remains of a burnt container washed ashore from the Singapore-registered container ship MV X-Press Pearl (in background), which has been burning for the seventh consecutive day in the sea off Sri Lanka's Colombo Harbour, are seen on a beach in Colombo on May 26, 2021. (Photo by LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI / AFP)</p>
PHOTO: AFP
The local authorities have warned fishermen to avoid the area and not to approach the vessel, as some containers carrying dangerous chemicals had fallen into the sea after the Tuesday blasts.
Sri Lanka's Marine Environment Protection Authority also warned people against touching or opening the packages or materials, and requested them to contact the navy or police upon the sight of any such items.
Apart from a potential chemical spill, there is a risk of an oil spill of about 100 tonnes.
The area north of where the ship caught fire is well known for dolphin sightings, and any oil spill could threaten marine life in the region.
<p>Smoke rises from a fire onboard the MV X-Press Pearl container ship in the seas off the Colombo Harbour as villagers push the cargo spilled from it on a beach in Ja-Ela, Sri Lanka May 26, 2021. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY</p>
PHOTO: X02763
<p>An officer from National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency collects samples of cargo container spilled from the MV X-Press Pearl container ship which caught fire off the Colombo Harbour, on a beach in Ja-Ela, Sri Lanka May 26, 2021. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte</p>
PHOTO: X02763
Sri Lanka is preparing for a Tier II oil spill, Marine Environment Protection Authority chair Dharshani Lahandapura said, indicating an accident that needs response teams with specialised knowledge to intervene.
The vessel is carrying about 300 tonnes of bunker fuel, but some oil has already been removed.
"We are fighting the fire but we are preparing for the worst. Dispersal chemicals and booms available in Sri Lanka had been made ready," Ms Lahandapura said. "It can escalate into a Tier III spill. But for now the estimate is about 100 tons."
X-Press Feeders is a common carrier operating a fleet of vessels for trans-shipment. The vessel was deployed in the company's Straits Middle East shipping route and caught fire at Colombo anchorage.
The Sri Lankan authorities said experts from the Netherlands and Belgium were surveying the ship, while neighbour India had promised to send vessels and an aircraft to help fight the fire.
