Salvors board the fire-stricken container ship MV X-Press Pearl after a 13-day joint firefighting operation by Sri Lanka, Indian and Salvage operators – SLPA

• Court orders vessel to be inspected by Govt. Analyst
• Ships’ documents and recordings to be confiscated
• CID continuing investigations

By Asiri Fernando

The Colombo Magistrates Court yesterday (1 June) issued an order preventing the Captain, Chief Engineer and Deputy Engineer of the fire-struck container vessel, MV X-Press Pearl, from leaving the island.

The move comes as hundreds of armed forces personnel continue to clear tons of plastic pellets and other debris from the vessel along the western coastal belt. The Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) has called the incident "probably the worst beach pollution in our history".

The travel ban issued by the Courts was notified to the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration following the Police submitting an initial report regarding the incident, Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana said.

According to DIG Rohana, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) have recorded statements from the vessels' crew, the Harbour Master, the ships’ local agents, officials of the Wildlife Department and MEPA. The Colombo Magistrate has also issued an order for the vessel to be examined by the Government Analyst and for the vessel's documents, charts and recordings to be confiscated.

Controversy surrounds the MV X-Press Pearl incident after it was reported that the vessel was not allowed to berth in two ports in Qatar and India before sailing to Colombo Port where she was in the anchorage (9.5 Nautical Miles) off the coast when a distress call was issued.

The fire aboard the vessel is suspected to be linked to a cargo of hazardous chemicals, including nitric acid, which had leaked from their containers. Several explosions were also reported from the vessel during the fire fighting.

“The vessel nor the agents had informed the Colombo Port of the chemical leakage, prior to been given permission to enter the anchorage,” Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) Chairman (Retd.) Maj. Gen. Daya Rathnayake told the press last week, with the Ministries of Ports and Environment calling for an investigation into the matter.

The Salvors from SMIT Salvage, headquartered in Rotterdam, boarded the Singaporean flagged MV X-Press Pearl after a 13-day joint effort by SLPA, Navy, Air Force and Indian Coast Guard managed to put out the blaze yesterday morning. A report by the salvage master was expected by local authorities last night.  

The Navy had forward-deployed a team of salvage and clearance divers to the site yesterday in preparation for an inspection of the vessels' hull as concerns grew about the vessel stern resting low on the waterline.

Navy sources suspect that water and foam pumped into the vessel during the firefighting operation may have collected in the vessels hold and in the engine room near the stern. The report by the Salvors is expected to shed light on the vessels condition. The Indian Coast Guard tweeted that no oil spill was detected from the vessel.  

MEPA Chairperson Dharshani Lahandapura told Daily FT earlier that they have directed the vessel needs to be towed to a safe distance away from the coast. Rough seas and the fire onboard the vessel had prevented it from being carried out so far.

The MV X-Press Pearl (IMO number: 9875343), is a 185-metre-long vessel launched in early 2021, and was en route from Hazira Port – India on 15 May to Colombo with 1,486 containers, including 25 tons of nitric acid and several other chemicals on board, when it issued a distress call while in anchorage, 9.5 nautical miles northwest of Colombo Harbour.

President instructs fire-stricken vessel to be towed to deep-sea