The Singapore-registered container ship MV X-Press Pearl carrying hundreds of tons of chemicals and plastics, sinks after burning for almost two weeks, just outside Colombo's harbor on June 2, 2021.
(ISHARA S. KODIKARA / AFP)
COLOMBO/ SINGAPORE – Sri Lanka on Thursday readied for the possibility of an oil spill after a cargo ship laden with chemicals sank off its western coast.
The Singapore-registered MV X-Press Pearl, carrying 1,486 containers, including 25 tons of nitric acid along with other chemicals and cosmetics, was anchored off the port city of Negombo when a fire erupted onboard after an explosion on May 20.
Flaming containers filled with chemicals tumbled into the sea from the ship's deck as emergency crews sought to contain the blaze over the ensuing two weeks.
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The craft began to sink early on Wednesday, and a salvage crew tried to tow the vessel to deeper water, away from the coast, but the attempt was abandoned after the rear of the ship touched the sea bed.
The ship's operators, X-Press Feeders, said in a statement on Thursday there were still no signs of a fuel oil spill from the ship, and that much of the toxic cargo had been incinerated in the fire
The ship's operators, X-Press Feeders, said in a statement on Thursday there were still no signs of a fuel oil spill from the ship, and that much of the toxic cargo had been incinerated in the fire.
"Salvors remain on scene to deal with any possible debris supported by the Sri Lankan Navy and the Indian Coast Guard, who have oil spill response capabilities on standby," the statement said.
But photos from the country's coast guard showed a layer of green film blanketing the ocean surrounding the vessel, and millions of plastic pellets have already fouled surrounding beaches and fishing grounds, forcing the government to ban fishing along an 80-kilometer stretch of coast.
The government has said it would seek redress for the incident.
"We hope to get compensation in accordance with local and international law. We will never give up on that effort," minister for ports and ports development Rohitha Abeygunewardene told a news conference late on Wednesday. "We will calculate the cost from the beginning of this incident and claim compensation."
The Sri Lankan government also said on Thursday that a search operation has been launched to locate the Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) from the ship.
In a media briefing held in capital Colombo, officials said the VDR will be used to listen to the conversations that the ship captain had with other members before and during the eruption of the fire.
This would help in the investigations to determine the exact cause of the fire, the government said.
Singapore authorities said on Thursday they have started their own investigation into the incident.
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Singapore’s Marine and Port Authority said it understood that the ship’s stern was now submerged, and the ship may be at risk of sinking.
“As the flag State, MPA has also commenced its own investigation on the incident,” the MPA said in a statement.
With Xinhua inputs