Fire-stricken containership X-Press Pearl sinks
Sri Lanka, Colombo - 4 June 2021
Video by Sri Lanka Air Force
Explosion aboard MV X-Press Pearl, off Colomco
Sri Lanka, Colombo - 25 May 2021
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On 20 May 2021, the ship caught fire off the northwest coast of Sri Lanka.
The ship departed from the port of Hazira, India on 15 May 2021. The container vessel carried 25 tons of nitric acid, 1486 containers, other poisonous chemicals and cosmetics and it arrived in Colombo on 19 May 2021.
It was reported that the ship caught fire on 20 May 2021 in 9.5 nautical miles in the northwest of the Colombo Port.
Sri Lanka Navy along with the Sri Lanka Ports Authoritiy which got onboard the ship in order to find out the cause of fire had suspected that the fire has erupted possibly due to a reaction to the chemicals being transported on the ship.
During the fire incident, the vessel had a crew of 25 members on board.
A huge explosion took place inside the vessel and all the 25 crew members were evacuated safely from the vessel.
On 21 May 2021, Sri Lankan Navy deployed ships and an aircraft in firefighting rescue operations.
Video by Ceylon Sea Life
