Fears of environmental disaster as stricken ship sinks off Sri Lanka
17 June 2021, 13:14
The X-Press Pearl, carrying nitric acid and other chemicals, had run aground and been on fire for nearly a month but sank to the seabed on Thursday.
A container ship carrying chemicals sank off Sri Lanka’s capital on Thursday nearly a month after catching fire, raising concerns about a possible environmental disaster, officials have said.
The ship’s operator said the wreck of the Singapore-flagged X-Press Pearl “is now wholly sitting on the seabed at a depth of 21 metres (70 feet).”
A salvage crew was at the site to deal with any debris and report any spill, X-Press Feeders, the operator, said.
The head of Sri Lanka’s Marine Environment Protection Authority, Darshini Lahandapura, also confirmed that the ship had sunk.
She said it was currently unsafe to remove the wreck because of rough monsoon seas.
“The sea is very violent. In the rough season, we can’t do anything,” she said.
The monsoon season started last month and usually ends in September.
“Until such time, the owner of the vessel has appointed a caretaker company,” she said.
“The entire area will be looked after by the caretaker company until the owner appoints a wreck removal company.”
X-Press Feeders also said the wreck removal will start after monsoons subside, while adding that “caretakers will install navigational warning lights and markers on the wreck for the safety of other vessel.”
The fire broke out on the vessel on May 20 when it was anchored about 11 miles northwest of Colombo and waiting to enter the port.
The Sri Lankan navy believes the blaze was caused by its chemical cargo, which included 25 tonnes of nitric acid and other chemicals, most of which were destroyed in the fire.
But debris including burned fibreglass and tons of plastic pellets have already polluted nearby beaches.
There are concerns that a spill of remaining chemicals and oil from the ship could devastate marine life.
Authorities extinguished the fire last week, but the ship then began sinking and attempts to tow it into deeper waters failed when its stern rested on the seabed. The ship had remained partly submerged until Thursday.
The government has asked the United Nations and some other countries for help in assessing the damage to the marine environment and coastal areas.
The country has submitted an interim claim of 40 million US dollars (£29 million) to X-Press Feeders to cover part of the cost of fighting the fire.
