More than ten days under the flames.
The Sri Lankan authorities announced on Sunday that they would take legal action against the owner of the container ship which has been burning since May 20 in front of the port of Colombo and has already caused one of the most serious marine pollution in the history of the country.
Latest videos of "X-PRESS PEARL" Footage captured by the SLAF Bell 212 this morning (29 May 2021) pic.twitter.com/7pjseUFHgo
- Sri Lanka Air Force (@airforcelk) May 29, 2021
A little earlier, they had also announced an investigation into the way in which the fire had started on board the ship, which notably carried 25 tons of nitric acid and about thirty containers filled with plastic packaging material.
For now, the bulk of the pollution comes from millions of polyethylene granules for the packaging industry, dumped at sea and on beaches by eight of these containers that have fallen into the water.
A few more days to put out the fire
The pollution affects an area of about 80 km along the coast around Colombo, an area of tourist beaches, shallow-water fishing areas, and fragile ecosystems of mangroves and lagoons.
While the fire on board the ship is now under control, it weakened the structure of the 186 m long ship.
Situation Update: Latest pictures of the "X-PRESS PEARL" vessel which is presently engulfed in flames.
Footage was captured by the SLAF Bell 212 during the afternoon of 26 May 2021 pic.twitter.com/xKjYyumcz2
- Sri Lanka Air Force (@airforcelk) May 27, 2021
"It will take a few more days to extinguish the fire completely," admitted Vice-Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne, while considering that there was no longer any danger that the vessel would break up and release at sea not only his fuel but also its cargo of 278 tonnes of bunker fuel and 50 tonnes of marine diesel.
The Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA), which spoke on Saturday of "probably the most important pollution in our history", announced on Sunday that it had met with the Minister of Justice to prepare the legal action against the shipowner and insurance companies.
"We have looked at the details, and we will bring those responsible to justice," MEPA President Dharshani Lahandapura told reporters in Colombo, stressing however that assessing the damage would take time.
The crew will be interviewed
The Singapore-registered container ship MV X-Press Pearl was on its way from Gujarat, India, to Colombo when a fire broke out on board on May 20.
Authorities last week said they believed the blaze was caused by a nitric acid leak that the crew had known about since May 11.
The 25 crew members, who have already been evacuated, will be questioned Monday, after the end of their health quarantine, as part of the investigation opened by the MEPA, police said.
Chemicals in the cargo
"The captain and crew are in quarantine, but health officials have told us we can question them tomorrow," police spokesman Ajith Rohana said.
“We also sent samples of polluted seawater and burnt debris from the boat for analysis,” he added.
And there is no question that the ship will be towed out of Sri Lankan waters until the experts have been able to examine it, he added.
Authorities and the ship's operator also said the fire was continuing, but was under control.
The boat's owner, X-Press Feeders, says her hull is intact and her fuel tanks are unaffected.
Most of the cargo, which included 25 tons of nitric acid, caustic soda, lubricants and other chemicals, appear to have been destroyed by the flames, authorities said.
