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Updated May 30th, 2021 at 19:25 IST

Sri Lanka launches probe to sue Singapore owners of blazing ship, calls it worst disaster

Sri Lankan authorities say they will sue the owners of a Singapore-registered cargo carrier that has burned for 11 straight days off the island's west coast

Reported by: Gargi Rohatgi
AP
AP | Image:self
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Sri Lankan authorities say they will sue the owners of a Singapore-registered cargo carrier that has burned for 11 straight days off the island's west coast and caused some of its worst-ever marine pollutions. Police on Sunday said a criminal investigation was also launched into the blaze aboard the MV X-Press Pearl, which was carrying 25 tonnes of nitric acid and a huge amount of plastic raw materials.

Police on Sunday said a criminal investigation was also launched into the blaze aboard the MV X-Press Pearl, which was carrying 25 tonnes of nitric acid and a huge amount of plastic raw materials. Sri Lanka's Marine Environment Protection Authority said it met with attorney general Sanjaya Rajaratnam on Sunday to plan legal action against the owners of the vessel, its crew, as well as insurers.

"We have gone through the details and will be taking action against those responsible," MEPA Chairman Dharshani Lahandapura told reporters in Colombo.

Sri Lanka facing worst ecological disaster 

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's apex environment body on Saturday said that the country was facing its worst marine ecological disaster, which was triggered after a Singapore-flagged cargo ship caught fire near the Colombo beach, fuelling severe environmental concerns. The cargo vessel - MV 'X-PRESS PEARL'- was carrying a consignment of chemicals and raw materials for cosmetics from Hazira in Gujarat to Colombo Port on May 20 when it caught fire some 9.5 nautical miles away from the port of Colombo.

The firefighting effort on May 21 was assisted by the Indian coastal guard vessels and an aircraft, in addition to the Sri Lanka Navy and Air Force. Apart from the 325 metric tonnes of fuel in its tanks, the vessel was loaded with 1,486 containers carrying about 25 tonnes of hazardous nitric acid.

Chairperson of the Marine Environment Pollution Authority (MEPA), Darshani Lahandapura, said that according to the available information so far this would be the worst marine ecological disaster in the island nation. "With the available information so far, this can be described as the worst disaster,” she said.

The plastic beads floating in the waters covering the affected coastal area are badly affecting the marine ecology in the respective areas, she said. Lahandapura said the fishing breeding points and mangroves around the Negombo Lagoon, a major tourist attraction, were very sensitive and the resultant pollution could affect them.

According to a statement issued by the ship’s owners in Singapore, "by 9.45 am Sri Lanka time today, the vessel’s hull remains structurally intact, as do the bunker tanks, and there has been no loss of oil into the port’s waters. The Sri Lankan Navy has also confirmed that there have been no oil sightings since the fire began”.

The Sri Lanka Air Force had dropped fire dousing material on Saturday morning. Authorities said that the fire was under control and the possibility of the ship’s sinking was less. The Ministry of Fisheries has assured that there was no reason to fear consuming fish as the fishing in the affected area had been banned from last Sunday. The fishermen affected by the fishing ban are to be provided livelihood support, the Sri Lankan Ministry said. MEPA officials had said a large number of dead sea turtles, birds and small fish could be seen along the coast.

India on Tuesday had dispatched ICG Vaibhav, ICG Dornier and Tug Water Lilly to help the Sri Lankan Navy extinguish the fire on the container ship. India's specialised pollution response vessel Samudra Prahari reached the spot on Saturday to augment pollution control efforts, the Colombo Gazette reported on Friday. All 25 crew members of the ship - of Indian, Chinese, Filipino and Russian nationalities - were rescued on Tuesday after a 'fire alarm' dispatch was sent. 

(Image: AP)

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Published May 30th, 2021 at 19:25 IST

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