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Sayurusara 2021 December 17
May 2021, the Singapore-flagged Containership, vessels and two Indian Coast Guard vessels.
‘X-Press Pearl’ reported smoke from the cargo On 27th May, efforts to extinguish the fire
hold while at Colombo anchorage, Sri Lanka. onboard were ongoing with firefighting tugs,
the Sri Lanka Navy and Indian Coast Guard
Emergency procedures had been initiated, remained on scene.
and CO2 released in the cargo hold. Port control
and the local authority had been informed, and Possible adverse impact to marine environment
Sri Lanka Navy assets along with firefighting of the island nation
teams had been placed on standby. On 21st May,
the vessel had reported fire on deck. Firefighting About 11 million metric tons of plastic find
tugs had been deployed by the port authority and their way into oceans every year, causing
a helicopter providing support to help fight the damage to wildlife habitats, humans and animals,
fire. The ship’s crew assisted with according to a report on ocean pollution last year.
boundary cooling of the area. If no action is taken, plastic litter will almost
triple by 2040 as humanity increases the use of
The Harbour Master and Sri Lankan Navy hydrocarbon-based plastics, which don’t degrade
were on standby to assist in case of evacuation. naturally. The cumulative amount of plastic in
Fire and chemical experts were contacted by the the ocean could reach 600 million tons in
vessels operators, and SMIT Salvage had been 20 years’ time.
appointed as Salvors. On 22nd May, the sound of
an explosion was heard in cargo hold 2. Contaminants released from the wreckage of
a container ship off the coast of Sri Lanka could
Tugs continued the firefighting operation be dragged thousands of kilometers by ocean
with Posh Teal, Posh Hardy, Megha, Hercules, currents, impacting wildlife and humans in far-
Mahawewa deployed. 12 crew members reaching latitudes. Authorities and salvage crews
disembarked from the vessel on 23rd May to worked to prevent more than 300 metric tons of
make way for a 12-person firefighting team. oil transported by the MV X-Press Pearl from
The firefighting team continued the operation spilling out of the ship’s fire-damaged hull. But
in conjunction with water spraying tugs on site. significant damage has already been done.
By 24th May, the fire had intensified and was
spreading towards the aft of the vessel. Flaming Chemicals and tiny plastic pellets that were
containers filled with billions of plastic pellets once onboard the 186-meter vessel have already
tumbled into the sea from the ship’s deck as entered the ocean, causing one of Sri Lanka’s
emergency crews sought to contain the blaze over worst environmental disasters to date. “Oil,
the next two weeks. chemicals and plastic pellets are probably the
worst combination you can have,” said Delphine
A further and louder explosion was heard Lobelle, a postdoctoral researcher specializing
on 25th May, and as a prudent measure, it was in ocean plastics at Utrecht University in the
decided to evacuate all 13 crew and the firefighting Netherlands. “It’s really unfortunate that the ship
team of 12. The crew and firefighting team was carrying so many harmful materials.”
were transferred to a quarantine facility
ashore. Unfortunately, two crew members suffered Pellets the size of a grain of rice can easily be
leg injuries during evacuation and were taken mistaken for food by birds or fish, but consuming
to hospital for attention. All were reported to be them can be deadly. If the animals don’t die and
in stable condition. Later the vessel’s operator, are instead eaten by predators, the plastics can
X-Press Feeders, confirmed that salvors reported move up the food chain until they eventually
no visible flames aboard the vessel, though smoke reach humans. With time, the pellets break into
emanating from the ship’s aft. even smaller pieces, known as micro plastics,
which are even more difficult to detect and
Firefighting tugs were operating on-site control. How many pellet containers have either
throughout 26th May, with the assistance of Sri burned or fallen off the ship isn’t clear, said
Lanka Air Force helicopters, Sri Lanka Navy ITOPF’s technical director Richard Johnson.
May 2021, the Singapore-flagged Containership, vessels and two Indian Coast Guard vessels.
‘X-Press Pearl’ reported smoke from the cargo On 27th May, efforts to extinguish the fire
hold while at Colombo anchorage, Sri Lanka. onboard were ongoing with firefighting tugs,
the Sri Lanka Navy and Indian Coast Guard
Emergency procedures had been initiated, remained on scene.
and CO2 released in the cargo hold. Port control
and the local authority had been informed, and Possible adverse impact to marine environment
Sri Lanka Navy assets along with firefighting of the island nation
teams had been placed on standby. On 21st May,
the vessel had reported fire on deck. Firefighting About 11 million metric tons of plastic find
tugs had been deployed by the port authority and their way into oceans every year, causing
a helicopter providing support to help fight the damage to wildlife habitats, humans and animals,
fire. The ship’s crew assisted with according to a report on ocean pollution last year.
boundary cooling of the area. If no action is taken, plastic litter will almost
triple by 2040 as humanity increases the use of
The Harbour Master and Sri Lankan Navy hydrocarbon-based plastics, which don’t degrade
were on standby to assist in case of evacuation. naturally. The cumulative amount of plastic in
Fire and chemical experts were contacted by the the ocean could reach 600 million tons in
vessels operators, and SMIT Salvage had been 20 years’ time.
appointed as Salvors. On 22nd May, the sound of
an explosion was heard in cargo hold 2. Contaminants released from the wreckage of
a container ship off the coast of Sri Lanka could
Tugs continued the firefighting operation be dragged thousands of kilometers by ocean
with Posh Teal, Posh Hardy, Megha, Hercules, currents, impacting wildlife and humans in far-
Mahawewa deployed. 12 crew members reaching latitudes. Authorities and salvage crews
disembarked from the vessel on 23rd May to worked to prevent more than 300 metric tons of
make way for a 12-person firefighting team. oil transported by the MV X-Press Pearl from
The firefighting team continued the operation spilling out of the ship’s fire-damaged hull. But
in conjunction with water spraying tugs on site. significant damage has already been done.
By 24th May, the fire had intensified and was
spreading towards the aft of the vessel. Flaming Chemicals and tiny plastic pellets that were
containers filled with billions of plastic pellets once onboard the 186-meter vessel have already
tumbled into the sea from the ship’s deck as entered the ocean, causing one of Sri Lanka’s
emergency crews sought to contain the blaze over worst environmental disasters to date. “Oil,
the next two weeks. chemicals and plastic pellets are probably the
worst combination you can have,” said Delphine
A further and louder explosion was heard Lobelle, a postdoctoral researcher specializing
on 25th May, and as a prudent measure, it was in ocean plastics at Utrecht University in the
decided to evacuate all 13 crew and the firefighting Netherlands. “It’s really unfortunate that the ship
team of 12. The crew and firefighting team was carrying so many harmful materials.”
were transferred to a quarantine facility
ashore. Unfortunately, two crew members suffered Pellets the size of a grain of rice can easily be
leg injuries during evacuation and were taken mistaken for food by birds or fish, but consuming
to hospital for attention. All were reported to be them can be deadly. If the animals don’t die and
in stable condition. Later the vessel’s operator, are instead eaten by predators, the plastics can
X-Press Feeders, confirmed that salvors reported move up the food chain until they eventually
no visible flames aboard the vessel, though smoke reach humans. With time, the pellets break into
emanating from the ship’s aft. even smaller pieces, known as micro plastics,
which are even more difficult to detect and
Firefighting tugs were operating on-site control. How many pellet containers have either
throughout 26th May, with the assistance of Sri burned or fallen off the ship isn’t clear, said
Lanka Air Force helicopters, Sri Lanka Navy ITOPF’s technical director Richard Johnson.
