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Statement 17 - 7th June 2021
X-Press Feeders, operators of the container ship 'X-Press Pearl' can confirm that the situation on scene remains under observation with no signs of debris and no reports of fuel oil pollution as of 1800 Sri Lanka local time.
The ships aft portion remains on the seabed at a depth of about 21 meters, and the forward section remains afloat and is reported as stable. A diving inspection was successfully performed on the stern quarter of the ship, and a marine chemist continues to take readings of the air around the vessel and the pH levels of the seawater to ensure the safety of the site.
The salvors remain on scene to deal with any possible debris supported by the Sri Lankan Navy and the Indian Coast Guard, who have oil spill response capabilities on standby.
Ashore representatives of ITOPF and Oil Spill Response are monitoring updates from the scene and remain on standby to be deployed in case of any reported spill. They continue to coordinate with MEPA and the Sri Lankan Navy on an established plan to deal with any possible spill of oil and other pollutants.
Statement 16 - 6th June
X-Press Feeders, operators of the container ship 'X-Press Pearl' can confirm that the situation on scene remains under observation with no signs of debris and no reports of fuel oil pollution as of 1800 Sri Lanka local time.
The ships aft portion remains on the seabed at a depth of about 21 meters, and the forward section continues to settle down slowly. Salvors boarded a six-person team to the still floating bow area for assessment. They remain on scene to deal with any possible debris supported by the Sri Lankan Navy and the Indian Coast Guard, who have oil spill response capabilities on standby.
Ashore representatives of ITOPF and Oil Spill Response are monitoring updates from the scene and remain on standby to be deployed in case of any reported spill. They continue to coordinate with MEPA and the Sri Lankan Navy on an established plan to deal with any possible spill of oil and other pollutants.
Further information will be provided as soon as it becomes available.
Statement 15 - 5th June 2021
X-Press Feeders, operators of the container ship 'X-Presse Pearl' can confirm that the situation on scene remains under observation with no signs of debris and no reports of fuel oil pollution as of 18.00 Sri Lanka local time.
The ships aft portion remains on the seabed at a depth of about 21 meters, and the forward section continues to settle down slowly. An initial inspection has been carried out by divers to assess the condition of the hull. Salvors remain on scene to deal with any possible debris supported by the Sri Lankan Navy and the Indian Coast Guard, who have oil spill response capabilities on standby.
Ashore representatives of ITOPF and Oil Spill Response are monitoring updates from the scene and remain on standby to be deployed in case of any reported spill. They continue to coordinate with MEPA and the Sri Lankan Navy on an established plan to deal with any possible spill of oil and other pollutants.
Statement 14 - 5th June 2021
X-Press Feeders, operators of the container ship 'X-Press Pearl' can confirm that the situation on scene remains under observation with no signs of debris and no reports of fuel oil pollution as of 18.00 Sri Lanka local time.
The ships aft portion remains on the seabed at a depth of about 21 meters, and the forward section continues to settle down slowly. An initial inspection has been carried out by divers to assess the condition of the hull. Salvors remain on scene to deal with any possible debris supported by the Sri Lankan Navy and the Indian Coast Guard, who have oil spill response capabilities on standby.
Ashore representatives of ITOPF and Oil Spill Response are monitoring updates from the scene and remain on standby to be deployed in case of any reported spill. They continue to coordinate with MEPA and the Sri Lankan Navy on an established plan to deal with any possible spill of oil and other pollutants.
Image by Sri Lanka Ports Authority
Statement 13 - 4th June 2021
X-Press Feeders, operators of the container ship 'X-Press Pearl' can confirm that the situation on scene remains the same with no signs of debris and no reports of fuel oil pollution as of 1800 Sri Lanka local time.
The ships aft portion remains on the seabed at a depth of about 21 meters, and the forward section continues to settle down slowly. Salvors were able to retrieve the anchor and remain on scene to deal with any possible debris supported by the Sri Lankan Navy and the Indian Coast Guard, who have oil spill response capabilities on standby.
Ashore representatives of ITOPF and Oil Spill Response are monitoring updates from the scene and remain on standby to be deployed in case of any reported spill. They continue to coordinate with MEPA and the Sri Lankan Navy on an established plan to deal with any possible spill of oil and other pollutants.
One seafarer remains in a private hospital recovering from leg injuries sustained in the evacuation from the ship. A second injured seafarer, who tested Covid positive but remains asymptomatic, is recovering in a military hospital. The rest of the crew remain housed in a quarantine hotel.
Statement 12 - 4th June 2021
X-Press Feeders, operators of the container ship 'X-Press Pearl' can confirm that the situation on scene remains the same with no signs of debris and no reports of fuel oil pollution as of 0700 Sri Lanka local time.
The ships aft portion is sitting on the seabed at a depth of about 21 meters, and the forward section continues to settle down slowly. Salvors remain on scene to deal with any possible debris supported by the Sri Lankan Navy and the Indian Coast Guard, who have oil spill response capabilities on standby.
Statement 11 - 3rd June 2021
X-Press Feeders, operators of the container ship 'X-Press Pearl' can confirm that the situation on scene remains the same with no signs of debris and no reports of oil pollution as of 1500 Sri Lanka local time.
The ships aft portion is sitting on the seabed at a depth of about 21 meters, and the forward section continues to settle down slowly. Navy divers attempted to inspect the vessel under the direction of salvors but were forced to resurface due to poor visibility. Salvors remain on scene to deal with any possible debris supported by the Sri Lankan Navy and the Indian Coast Guard, who have oil spill response capabilities on standby.
Ashore representatives of ITOPF and Oil Spill Response are monitoring updates from the scene and remain on standby to be deployed in case of any reported spill. They continue to coordinate with MEPA and the Sri Lankan Navy on an established plan to deal with any possible spill of oil and other pollutants. We remain committed to assist in the shoreline cleanup efforts led by MEPA and the Sri Lankan Navy.
Due to the lockdown in Sri Lanka, we can only contribute machinery, not manpower, and we will continue to be guided by the local authorities.
The crew continue to co-operate with local police in their investigations, with four of the officers interviewed so far. They remain housed in a quarantine hotel with other crew members. One seafarer remains in a private hospital recovering from leg injuries sustained in the evacuation from the ship. A second injured seafarer, who tested Covid positive but remains asymptomatic, is recovering in a military hospital.
Statement 10 - 3rd June 2021
X-Press Feeders, operators of the container ship 'X-Press Pearl' can confirm that the situation on scene remains the same as late yesterday with no signs of debris and no reports of oil pollution as of 0700 Sri Lanka local time.
The ships aft portion is sitting on the seabed at a depth of about 21 meters, and the forward section continues to settle down slowly. Salvors remain on scene to deal with any possible debris supported by the Sri Lankan Navy and the Indian Coast Guard, who have oil spill response capabilities on standby.
Statement 9 - 2nd June 2021
X-Press Feeders, operators of the container ship X-Press confirm that the ships aft portion is sitting on the seabed at a depth of about 21 meters, and the forward section is settling down slowly. Salvors remain on scene supported by the Sri Lankan Navy and the Indian Coast Guard off the Port of Colombo.
Salvors will remain with the vessel to monitor the ships condition and oil pollution, if any. The immediate focus is to minimise any further damage to the environment.
Oil Spill Response Limited has been appointed to respond to any possible spill and is liaising with ITOPF, who will provide technical expertise. Both OSRL and ITOPF have people on the ground in Colombo coordinating with the Sri Lankan Navy on an established plan to deal with any possible spill of oil and other pollutants.
Early estimates are that most of the cargo has been incinerated during the fire.
Ashore, contractors continue working with local authorities on shoreline clean up efforts to safely dispose of any debris that is washed up.
Most of the evacuated crew continue to serve out quarantine at dedicated local hotels, whilst select seafarers continue helping local police with their enquiries into the fire and are cooperating with investigators. We will respect this process and not publicly discuss operational details until the investigation has been completed.
The crew member who was transferred to a special facility in a military hospital after testing positive for Covid-19 remains asymptomatic and continues to recover from the leg injury.
A second injured crew member continues to recover from his leg injuries in a local hospital.
X-Press Feeders will continue cooperating with the relevant investigations into this incident.
Image by Sri Lanka Air Force
Statement 8 - 2nd June 2021
X-Press Feeders, operators of the container ship 'X-Press Pearl' regret to report that despite salvors successfully boarding the vessel and attaching a tow wire, efforts to move the ship to deeper waters have failed, and the ships aft portion is now touching bottom at a depth of 21 meters. As of 1500 Sri Lanka time, the foreward area of the vessel remains afloat with smoke coming out of Cargo Holds No 1 and 2.
Further information will be provided as soon as it becomes available.
Statement 7 - 2nd June 2021
X-Press Feeders, operators of the container ship 'X-Press Pearl' confirm that salvors report no visible flames aboard the vessel, though smoke is still emitting intermittently from cargo holds 1,2 and 3.
An inspection team were able to board the vessel on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 1, and reported the engine room flooded. There are now concerns over the amount of water in the hull and its effect on the ship's stability. Efforts to make a connection for towing failed after several attempts due to the tug's movement caused by the swell. The operation was aborted for safety reasons.
A team has reboarded the vessel again today for further investigations and to renew attempts to make a line connection on the bow. If the connection is made, the ship will be towed in a westerly direction, away from the coastline. There is continued support from the Sri Lankan Navy and Indian coastguard, who remain on scene.
Ashore, contractors continue working with local authorities on their fifth day of shoreline clean up efforts to safely dispose of any debris that has washed up.
Most of the evacuated crew continue to serve out quarantine at dedicated local hotels, whilst select seafarers continue helping local police with their enquiries into the fire and are cooperating with investigators. We will respect this process and not publicly discuss operational details until the investigation has been completed.
The crew member who was transferred to a special facility in a military hospital after testing positive for Covid-19 remains asymptomatic and continues to recover from the leg injury. A second injured crew member continues to recover from his leg injuries in a local hospital.
X-Press Feeders remain fully focused on the ongoing firefighting and salvage operation and will continue cooperating with the relevant investigations into this incident.
Further information will be provided as soon as it becomes available.
Statement 6 - 31st May 2021
X-Press Feeders, operators of the container ship 'X-Press Pearl' confirm that salvors report no visible flames aboard the vessel, though smoke is still issuing from areas in the ship's aft.
Firefighting tugs will continue spraying and misting operations to ensure the cooling of all hotspots and the vessel's hull and hatches, with temperature readings being taken with specialised equipment that has arrived from the Netherlands. There is continued support from the Sri Lankan Navy and Indian coastguard, who remain on scene.
Salvors are still exploring the possibilities of boarding the ship and making a tow connection so it can be moved, with the safety of the team the highest priority. As of 1100 Hours on May 31, 2021, Sri Lankan time, the salvors confirmed that the vessel's hull remains structurally intact, and there has been no loss of oil into the port's waters.
Ashore, contractors continue working with local authorities on their fifth day of shoreline clean up efforts to safely dispose of any debris that has washed up.
Most of the evacuated crew continue to serve out quarantine at dedicated local hotels, whilst select seafarers have today been helping local police with their enquiries into the fire and are cooperating with investigators. We will respect this process and not publicly discuss operational details until the investigation has been completed.
The crew member who was transferred to a special facility in a military hospital after testing positive for Covid-19 remains asymptomatic and continues to recover from the leg injury. A second injured crew member continues to recover from his leg injuries in a local hospital.
X-Press Feeders remain fully focused on the ongoing firefighting and salvage operation and will continue cooperating with the relevant investigations into this incident.
Statement 5 - 30th May 2021
X-Press Feeders, operators of the container ship 'X-Press Pearl' report that firefighting operations to extinguish the blaze aboard the vessel have further reduced the area affected by flames to small spot fires in the aft of the ship.
Firefighting tugs will continue spraying and misting the vessel with support from the Sri Lankan Navy and Indian coastguard, who remain on scene. Salvors are also exploring the possibility of boarding the ship and making a tow connection so it can be moved.
As of 1100 Hours on May 30, 2021, Sri Lankan time, the salvors have confirmed that the vessel's hull remains structurally intact, and there has been no loss of oil into the port's waters. Contractors continue working with local authorities on their fourth day of shoreline clean up efforts to dispose of any debris that has come ashore safely
The crew member who was transferred to a special facility in a military hospital after testing positive for Covid-19 remains asymptomatic and continues to recover from the leg injury. A second injured crew member continues to recover from his injuries in a local hospital. All other crew members who remain in a Colombo quarantine facility are in good health and are in contact with their families.
We remain fully focused on the ongoing firefighting and salvage operation and will co-operate with the relevant investigations into the cause of the fire.
Statement 4 - 29th May 2021
X-Press Feeders, operators of the container ship 'X-Press Pearl' report that firefighting operations to extinguish the blaze aboard the vessel have successfully reduced the area affected by flames and contained it to the aft of the ship, despite the adverse weather conditions.
Firefighting tugs will continue spraying and misting the vessel with support from the Sri Lankan Navy and Indian coastguard, who remain on scene.
As of 0945 Hours on May 29, 2021, Sri Lankan time, the salvors have confirmed that 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.
Contractors continue working with local authorities on their third day of shoreline clean up efforts to safely dispose of the debris that has come ashore in some areas; this work is ongoing.
The crew member who was transferred to a special facility in a military hospital after testing positive for Covid-19 remains asymptomatic and is recovering from a leg injury sustained during his evacuation from the vessel. A second injured crew member continues to recover from his injuries in a local hospital.
All other crew members who remain in a Colombo quarantine facility are in good health and are in contact with their families.
We remain fully focused on the ongoing firefighting and salvage operation and will co-operate with the relevant investigations into the cause of the fire.
Update 6 - 27th May 2021
X-Press Feeders, operators of the container ship 'X-Press Pearl' can confirm that firefighting operations to extinguish the blaze aboard the vessel have continued through today despite the ongoing adverse weather conditions.
Firefighting tugs have constantly been spraying and misting the stricken vessel with support from the Sri Lankan Navy and Indian coastguard, who remain on scene. The ship remains at anchor off Colombo port.
The crew member who was transferred to a special facility in a military hospital after testing positive for Covid-19 remains asymptomatic and is recovering from a leg injury sustained during his evacuation from the vessel. A second injured crew member continues to recover from his injuries in a local hospital. All other crew members who remain in a Colombo quarantine facility are in good health and are in contact with their families.
Please note, reports that the vessel was denied entry into Hazira Port in India and Hamad Port in Qatar are incorrect. The ship underwent discharge and loading operations in both ports before continuing on its planned journey to Colombo. Applications had been made to both ports to offload a container that was leaking nitric acid, but the advice given was there were no specialist facilities or expertise immediately available to deal with the leaking acid.
Further information will be provided as soon as it becomes available.
Update 5 - 27th May 2021
X-Press Feeders, operators of the container ship 'X-Press Pearl' (IMO: 9875343) report that efforts to extinguish the fire on board are ongoing with three firefighting tugs, helicopters and the Sri Lankan Navy and Indian coastguard on scene. The vessel remains at anchor off Colombo port with fire fighters and salvage experts flown in from Europe working with local authorities in their efforts to save the vessel and its cargo, despite the adverse weather due to the onset of South West monsoons.
The two crew members who received leg injuries during their evacuation from the ship on the morning of Tuesday, May 25th remain in hospital in stable condition. One of the seafarers has since tested positive to Covid-19 and has been transferred to a special facility in a military hospital for further treatment, he remains asymptomatic. The other 23 crew members are in a Colombo quarantine facility and are in good health.
The crew members are in contact with their families and X-Press Feeders will continue to liaise with customers about their cargo.
Update 4 - 25th May 2021
X-Press Feeders, disponent owners / operators and managers of the container ship 'X-Press Pearl' (IMO: 9875343), report that all crew members were safely evacuated today from the vessel, after the fire incident on board the vessel.
Despite the best efforts of salvors and firefighting tugs, the blaze had spread overnight, fanned by strong winds. With the crew's safety of utmost importance to X-Press Feeders, the decision was made to evacuate them.
X-Press Feeders will continue to work closely with the Sri Lankan authorities and emergency services with assistance from its appointed salvors to extinguish the blaze and to save the vessel and its cargo. Specialised firefighting equipment which arrived from Europe last night will join the salvaging operations.
The families of all the crew members have been advised of the safe evacuation of the respective crew, and we will continue to update them of any further developments. X-Press Feeders will continue to liaise with customers with regard to their containers on board the vessel.
Update 3 - 25th May 2021
In the early hours of this morning, all crew and 12 firefighters disembarked from X-Press Pearl as a safety precautionary measure.
Fire and smoke still remain on board. The salvage team, with fire experts and fire fighters will continue to work on putting out the fire. Special fire-fighting equipment arrived from Europe last night, which will reinforce the salvaging efforts.
All crew are safe.
We will continue to keep customers updated with developments on board.
Update 2 - 24th May 2021
Fire/smoke still remain on board the vessel but is currently under control. More firefighting tugs have been deployed and they will continue to fight the fire. The salvage team with fire experts and firefighters are already on board the vessel and are carrying out the risk assessment. They have already taken steps to stop the spreading of fire into other areas.
All crew are safe.
We have been advised that special firefighting equipment will arrive tomorrow. We therefore remain hopeful that the fire will be put out by the salvage team at the soonest time possible.
X-Press Feeders regrets the current situation which is beyond our control.
We will continue to keep customers informed of developments on board the vessel.
Update 1 - 21st May 2021
On 20th May 2021, an on deck container on board vessel "X-PRESS PEARL" (which is deployed in our Straits Middle East SMX service), caught fire whilst at Colombo Anchorage.
The vessel had taken all precautionary measures throughout the night. However, firefighting is still underway with assistance of tugs sent by local authorities.
Together with local authorities, X-Press Feeders is actively working on various solutions to put out the fire/smoke on board the vessel, whilst maintaining the safety of our crew.
We are closely monitoring the situation and will duly inform affected customers of any developments.
In the meantime, we are also looking into alternative options to ensure minimal disruption to our SMX service.
X-Press Feeders - press release
