Damages caused by burning vessel estimated to be running to billions of dollars

By Ifham Nizam

The environmental damage to marine fauna and flora, caused by the fire-stricken X-Press Pearl, would amount to billions of US dollars, scientists attached to the National Aquatic Resources Agency (NARA) and Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) said yesterday.

They said that they were discussing how much to seek as compensation.

Ministers Mahinda Amaraweera, Nalaka Godahewa and Lasantha Alagiyawanna yesterday visited the site to look into the environmental damage caused by chemicals and other contaminants released from the burning ship.

Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said steps were being taken to recover the damage.

Secretary to the Ministry Dr. Anil Jasinghe also accompanied the Minister.

Urban Development, Coast Conservation, Waste Disposal, and Community Cleanliness, State Minister, Dr. Nalaka Godahewa said the ill-fated ship had been on route to Singapore passing Colombo when the accident happened and gale winds contributed to the spread of the disastrous fire.

He said the cyclonic conditions in the Bay of Bengal coupled with the monsoon weather made t harder to contain the fire in time.

The State Minister also refuted reports that the MV X-Press Pearl had been denied entry into the ports in India and Qatar.

He said Sri Lanka had not been informed by anyone about any fire aboard the vessel and the matter needed to be investigated.

More than 300 Army personnel of the Quick Reaction Team, Drone Unit of the Artillery Regiment and the Bomb Disposal Squad were positioned yesterday along Negombo to Porutota coastal belt, in an attempt to prevent people from collecting hazardous debris still continuing to be washed ashore from the burning ship.

MEPA has also lodged a complaint with the Colombo harbour police to take legal action against the Captain of the MV X-Press Pearl and its parent company over the environmental damage.

Meanwhile, a team from the Netherlands has been detailed to inspect the ‘X-Press Pearl’ vessel. Shipping Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena said a six-member Dutch team had been to the site of the burning vessel on a tug boat.

A fire erupted in the cargo vessel ‘X-Press Pearl’ carrying Nitric Acid and other chemicals on May 20.

It was in anchorage about 9.5 nautical miles northwest of Colombo harbour at the time of the incident. The vessel had reached the location on May 19 before its entry into the harbour.

The vessel, registered under the Singapore flag, had with it 1,486 containers including 25 tonnes of Nitric Acid, several other chemicals, and cosmetics from the port of Hazira, India.

India, responding to an emergency request by Sri Lanka Navy, has deployed multiple assets – Vessels Vaibhav, Vajra, and Samudra Prehari by Indian Coast Guard and Tug Water Lilly by Director General, Shipping to douse the fire on MV ‘X-Press Pearl.’ In addition, Dornier aircraft was deployed for aerial reconnaissance.

The distressed container ship was manned by a crew of 25, who are Philippine, Chinese, Indian, and Russian nationals.

Sri Lanka Navy on Tuesday managed to rescue all crew members from the burning vessel. Two injured Indian nationals among them were admitted to National Hospital in Colombo for treatment. Reports revealed that one of the two injured crew members tested positive for COVID-19.

The MEPA said eight cargo containers had fallen into the sea and added that debris such as plastics and some food items had been washed to the beaches of Negombo, Ja-Ela, Kepumgoda, Seththappaduwa, Pamunugama, Kochchikade, and Dungalpitiya areas.