Life style
Wrecked by explosion
Jan.1931 sinking off Beruwala coast
The recent fire on the large oil tanker MT New Diamond, carrying crude oil when she was drifting about 20 nautical miles from our Eastern coast made international headlines. As the fires on the Japan-manufactured vessel, owned by a Greek shipping company, are doused by Sri Lankan authorities, Sunday Island revisits the ill-fated MV Tricolor laden with a cargo of dangerous chemicals which sank near Beruwala nearly 90 years ago, presumably making it the second deepest known shipwreck found in our waters.
by Randima Attygalle
By noon on January 5, 1931, the Norwegian owned MV Tricolor, a diesel-powered, 135-metre long, general cargo ship departed from the Colombo Port. The master of the ship was the 37-year-old Captain Arthur Johan Wold. The vessel is said to have carried a general cargo of over 825 tons including 48 tons that had come in from Hong Kong, Kobe, Yokohama and Moji which had just been loaded that morning. A significant amount of dangerous chemicals had also been in it.
The Tricolor, as the Tech Diving Expert and underwater explorer, Dharshana Jayawardena documents in his book, Ghosts of the Deep: Diving the Shipwrecks of Sri Lanka ‘was capable of 13.5 knots per hour. After the port boundary was cleared, the captain ordered full ahead. Three hours later and 65 km away from Colombo, the vessel arrived exactly atop its last resting place to be. The time was 3.10 pm that afternoon.’ As the writer goes on to record: “suddenly there were loud explosions and the ship shuddered violently. The explosions were so loud that, the crew of the French Steamer SS Porthos, which was a few kilometres away, actually heard it clearly and also saw the massive plume of smoke billowing out of the Tricolor immediately after the explosion.”
Wasting no time, the Captain of Porthos changed the course and headed towards the Tricolor to rescue the crew. Although the French vessel could rescue 31 crew members and all ten passengers, five crew members lost their lives including the 37-year-old Norwegian Captain of the ship Arthur Wold. The Captain of Porthos later recorded that Tricolor had sunk within five minutes after the explosion. The sinking was reported in the Norwegian press the following day. “As announced in a part of Norwegian Post about notice from Colombo, Ceylon that Oslo steamer Tricolor was sunk by an explosion. At this point, the information about the accident is quite sparse. According to telegraphic messages from the shipping company Wilh.Wilhelmsen, the explosion occurred shortly after Tricolor left Colombo.’
Although a substantial amount of dangerous chemicals had also been in the vessel, there are no records confirming the type of chemicals, says Jayawardena who has dived to the doomed Norwegian vessel five more times since his first dive in 2009. He further says that although chemicals are assumed to have contributed to the explosion on Tricolor, the exact cause still remains a mystery. Lying 65m deep, Tricolor is the second deepest known shipwreck found in our waters. It takes a ‘technically precise diver’ to explore the wreck and it lies beyond what is called ‘recreational diving limit’ as Jayawardena explains.
Like the MV Tricolor, the MT New Diamond, is a ship in peril. On a daily basis, all over the globe, thousands of ships are plying rough seas, carrying hazardous cargo, be it explosive chemicals (like the Tricolor), or crude oil (like the New Diamond) or highly dangerous explosives that can lead to catastrophic explosions similar to the one that happened recently in Beirut. “When a calamity of this nature happens, it is only recently that, the world has come to focus more on the environment aspect and the damage to the oceans that can come from marine traffic transporting hazardous cargo; earlier it was more focused on the human drama that surrounds a shipwreck and environmental pollution was never much of a concern in the days bygone. At the least this is a positive trend and a change of mindset. But clearly more attention is needed to take measures that can help disasters such as the MT New Diamond,” reflects Jayawardena.
When the Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in Alaska in 1989, 37000 metric tons of crude oil decimated the local marine environment and that damage took decades to recover if at all. The MT New Diamond is a much larger ship, with a length of 330m as opposed to the length of Exxon Valdez which was 301m in length. “Imagine the impact to the environment if the MT New Diamond ruptures and empties its crude oil? Depending on the currents, the whole of the southern east coast and south east coast, including the shores of the Yala National park could be at risk,” says the explorer.
In May, 2013, an email from the Norwegian Olav Anders Rasting to Jayawardena, left him astounded. “In it, Rasting claimed to be the great-grandson of Arthur Wold, the captain of the doomed Tricolor! He had come across the website I founded (www.divesrilanka.com) and was anxious to know if I had any information to offer about the ship steered by his great grand-father,” recalls Jayawardena. Rasting’s father Pal Arthur Rasting’s (grandson of Captain Arthur Wold) search for any clue to the wreck had driven a blank, says Jayawardena. Captain Arthur Wold had left behind a wife and little twin children- Per Wold and his twin sister Karin Wold. Years later, Karin would name her son Pal Arthur Rasting after her father who sank with Tricolor. “82 years after the MV Tricolor sank, his great-grandson’s search for the ill-fated vessel bore fruits,” says Jayawardena.
The first glimpse of the wreck of Tricolor as the expert diver recollects is “like seeing the bow of the Titanic.” ‘Fearsome and majestic’, the ship’s deck is a “gigantic skeletal structure consisting of reams of beams” reminding him of a “massive railroad stretching as far as the eye can see”, as he documents in his book. “I can feel the raw power of true wilderness chill my bones to the core,” writes Jayawardena who was kept company by a large shoal of silvery jacks and a small school of chevron barracuda! He describes the wreck towering over him like a “gigantic monster.” His dive to the wreck three years ago enabled him to retrieve a Norwegian-made plate and also locate the ship’s twin diesel engines. He also made a video recording of the site. The location referred to as ‘Barberyn’ in certain literature is actually Beruwala as he confirms. “The vessel’s last reported location was within a kilometer from the wreck, further confirming this.”
The diver’s experience each time he dived to the Tricolor, has been different. “Sometimes the visibility is amazingly clear and the currents have been slack. On the other extreme, visibility has been low but the marine life has been prolific, especially when there is extremely strong current making it really challenging to explore the Tricolor, given it is such a large ship and at this depth, which gives an explorer only short time in each dive to explore. But each dive has been rewarding in its own way and I have made small discoveries that have added to the circumstantial evidence that this is indeed the MV Tricolor.” The wreck of MV Tricolor, as Jayawardena notes, had been explored only by a handful of divers todate. “Its depth enabling only high tech divers to access it and its location unknown to many had rendered the wreck to be outside the mainstream list of dive sites offered by dive centres in the area,” he notes.
Pic credit: Olav Anders Rasting, Ramzi Reyal, Dharshana Jayawardena
Institute of Hospitality Sri Lanka
The 32nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the UK-based Institute of Hospitality’s Sri Lanka Chapter was held recently at the Ramada Hotel Colombo,.The event provided an evening of camaraderie , reflection of the past and present achievements,setting new benchmarks for the future
The AGM had the presence of two distinguished guests, the Chief Guest Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, and the Guest of Honour British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Andrew Patrick. Their inspiring speeches were lauded by all hoteliers who were present at the occasion
A special thanks was extended to Robert Richardson, CEO of the Institute of Hospitality UK, along with his team, sponsors, committee members, and all attendees for making the event memorable.
Dr. Harsha Jayasingh, Past President of the Institute of Hospitality (UK) Sri Lanka Chapter, emphasised the Institute’s longstanding history and the strength of its Sri Lankan branch. “The Institute of Hospitality (IH) UK has a history of 86 years, and we are proud to be the Sri Lanka Branch. IH Sri Lanka is much stronger now with many members from all areas of the hospitality industry,” he stated.
Dr. Jayasingh highlighted the significant role of tourism in Sri Lanka’s economy,. He said tourism it is the third-largest source of revenue for the country. “Tourism accounts for about 13.3% of total foreign exchange earnings and employs 450,000 people directly and indirectly. The hospitality industry in this island of pearl holds tremendous potential for economic growth, job creations, and cultural exchange,” he added.
He also pointed out more women should be attracted to the industry and advocated for the use of technology in hospitality sector to attract the younger generation.
The newly appointed Chairman Ramesh Dassanayake spoke about the challenges faced by the industry, including the reluctance of youth to join the sector. . Dassanayake expressed concerns over the migration of staff between hotels and the overall ‘brain drain’ in the sector. ” We must maintain high standards in the hotel We must try to attract tourists to Sri Lanka, we must have with many facilities Hence, hotel schools and other professional institutions involved in skills development mustincrease their intakes,” he pointed out.
Chief Guest Sajith Premadasa emphasised the importance of eco tourism and said “We need to have an environmental policy related to tourism in place,” . .
The 32nd AGM of the Institute of Hospitality UK, Sri Lanka Chapter, was a testament to the strength and potential of Sri Lanka’s hospitality industry. The insights and commitments shared during the event set a new benchmark for the future.(ZC)
Pix by Thushara Attapathu
Life style
He recognizes human identity beyond boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion.
Visit of Sri Gurudev to Sri Lanka
Humanitarian, spiritual leader and Global Ambassador of Peace Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (Sri Gurudev) was in Sri Lanka on a three day tour on the invitation of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Dinesh Gunewardene. Gurudev who inspired a wave of volunteerism and service to moot one of the largest volunteer-based organisations in the world – The Art of Living – visited the various projects under the aegis of the foundation and launched twelve vocational and technical centers around the island. He was accompanied by thousands of followers from Sri Lanka and around the world.
Gurudev who visited Sri Lanka for the sixth time also had a first day cover launched in honour of his visit. He is a strong proponent of spreading happiness, using the unique Sudarshan Kriya, yoga, meditation and practical wisdom to unite people, empower individuals and transform communities. His programmes provide techniques and tools to live a deeper, more joyous life, while his non-profit organisations recognize the human identity beyond the boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion.
The Art of Living which has more than 30,000 teachers and over one million volunteers across 180 countries has touched in excess of five hundred million people around the world. CNN called it “Life Changing” and The Washington Post headlined it, “Fresh air to millions”.
In Trincomalee, Gurudev met with war victims and had a heartwarming engagement with the children from the children’s homes run by the Foundation. He also visited the Koneswara Temple in Trincomalee and graced the Kumbhabhishekam at Seetha ecogPnize the human identity beyond the boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion. Amman temple at Nuwara Eliya. He held discussions with the trustees on the progress of the foundation’s social service projects, while also holding a special event – Ekamuthuwa – attended by a large number of dignitaries and his devotees from around the world.
His time with the Prime Minister was spent discussing the prospects of unity in diversity and uniting Sri Lanka by adding happiness into the formula of living. In addition he had discussions with the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, prominent business stewards and civil society leaders.
by Zanita Careem
Envison your dream wedding day come to life at the Epitome Hotel, a prestigious city hotel in Kurunegala offering an unrivalled luxury rendors experience for weddings.
The venue is designed to embody opulence and luxury from all quarters for a spectacular wedding in kurunegala,Thier ballroom is the largest banquet facility in Sri Lanka It can be divided into six luxurious pillarless wedding halls on the ground floor and 25pax smaller banquet halls.
It can be easily named as a five star heaven in the heart of the city contributing to a myriad of immense experiences tailored to inspire and delight wedding experiences.
From opulent décor set up to exquisite table decor, lavish food, every detail is meticulously curated to spark your imagination and ignite creativity for a perfect wedding. The previous prestigious wedding shows season one and season two attracted large crowds
were unique events which gave the wedding vendors and potential clients had an opportunity to connect and interact with each other. Beyond being a showcase it was a chance for the wedding vendors to unite and contribute to the vibrancy of the wedding industry. The wedding show covered all area of the bridal industry providing a comprehensive variety of bridal supplies from Sri lanka and became the most popular bridal exhibitions in Kurunegala.This bridal exhibitions allowed brides and grooms to experience first hand the products and services available from suppliers in Sri Lanka
These wedding shows held at The Epitome created a benchmark and gave an opportunity for vendors to create connections to the utmost satisfaction said Harshan Lakshita Executive Director. of the magnificent Hotel
Our wedding shows featured experts and professionals in every field‘ It covered all areas of the bridal industry provided a comprehensive variety of bridal supplies from Sri lanka and became most popular bridal exhibition in this region.We are always open to everyone to join us at our wedding shows in the future. It is an opportunity to discover the incredible talent within our local wedding and bridal vendors to make meaningful relationships and plan thier special day at our breathtaking hotel The Epitome said General Manager Kavinda Caldera
The Epitome Hotel’s bridal show which will be held end of June will buzz with great ideas,advice and inspiration for all those who plan thier dream wedding
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The Hotel Epitome’s Wedding Season 3 will marked excellence, celebration and inspiration for those in the wedding industry. The exhibition halls will resonate with ideas on exquisite bridal wear to decor, florists , photography etc and showshowcase the rich tapestry of talent within the local wedding industry. .
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