Container Ship Carrying Chemicals Catches Fire... Sinking Off the Coast of Sri Lanka

Off the coast of Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, on the 2nd (local time), the large Singapore-flagged container ship MV X-Press Pearl was sinking while emitting white smoke. This vessel, loaded with chemicals such as nitric acid, caught fire while waiting to enter port on the 20th of last month, and the flames were only extinguished after 12 days. Sri Lankan authorities, concerned about environmental pollution if the ship entered the port, attempted to tow it out to the open sea using tugboats, during which it began to sink. [Provided by Sri Lanka Air Force. Sale and advertisement prohibited] [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] A large container ship carrying a massive amount of chemical substances began sinking off the coast of Sri Lanka, raising an emergency alert.

According to local media on the 2nd, the Singapore-flagged MV X-Press Pearl started sinking from the stern that morning.

The MV X-Press Pearl caught fire on the 20th of last month while waiting to enter the port 18 km northwest of Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. The chemical substances fueled the flames, and internal explosions worsened the situation beyond control. Although the fire was completely extinguished the day before, 12 days after ignition, the enormous amount of water poured to put out the fire and damage to the hull have caused the container ship to continue sinking.

The 186-meter-long vessel was carrying 1,486 containers, including 25 tons of nitric acid loaded in India and other chemical substances. Due to firefighting efforts, a large amount of debris such as plastic has already washed up on Sri Lankan beaches, and an oil slick from the ship was found on a beach 40 km from Colombo. Several tons of plastic pellets that were in the containers spilled into the sea, leading to a suspension of fishing activities in the area.

All 25 crew members escaped by helicopter and other means, and Sri Lankan authorities have ordered a travel ban on them. Local police are investigating the captain, chief engineer, and other responsible parties, as it is believed that a nitric acid leak occurred nine days before the fire on the 11th of last month, and the crew was aware of it.

The Sri Lankan government has requested Australia to assess the scale of ecological damage caused by this incident.