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After 13 Days of Fire off the West Coast of Sri Lanka, the MV X-Press Pearl Vessel, Carrying Various Chemicals, Began to Sink During Tow and Polluted the Beaches, Leaving Over 5,000 Fishing Boats Unable to Operate
The MV X-Press Pearl ship, which was destroyed by a fire that lasted for 13 days on the west coast, sank with various chemicals in its cargo on Wednesday (2), causing a possible ecological disaster in Sri Lanka’s history.
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The ship with chemicals was off the west coast of Sri Lanka, waiting to enter the port, when a fire broke out on May 20, and since then, authorities have been battling the fire that spread across 1,486 containers filled with cosmetics and chemicals.
On Wednesday (2), firefighters managed to extinguish all the flames on the ship, which left over 5,000 fishing boats unable to operate; however, a few hours after towing began away from the coast, the ship started to sink. According to the spokesperson for the Sri Lankan Navy, Indika de Silva, the stern of the ship is submerged and the water is above the ship’s deck.
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Government Bans Fishing, Affecting Nearly Six Thousand Fishing Boats
According to Indika, the concern now is to contain any chemical spill. Authorities responsible for the operation are monitoring closely, and so far, no type of spill has been detected. He states that if it occurs, it would be devastating; however, authorities are taking all possible measures to ensure everything is handled in a way that favors the environment.
The cause of the fire has not yet been discovered, but all signs point to a connection with the highly flammable chemicals that came from India. When the fire caused the explosion, the entire crew of 25 people was evacuated. The crew consisted of Filipinos, Indians, Chinese, and Russians.
The captain, the engineer, and the assistant engineer are prohibited from leaving Sri Lanka while the investigation continues. In addition to having destroyed most of the ship, the incident polluted a long stretch of the country’s beaches, and the government was forced to ban fishing, affecting around 5,600 fishing boats.
Statement from the Sri Lankan Government
The President of Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, ordered the ship to be taken to deeper waters to minimize damage to the country’s coastline. The ship will be towed further from the coast before it sinks completely.
Authorities intended to remove the contaminated water from the ship in an operation that would take at least 3 days but decided to change their minds due to lack of time.
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