Sri Lanka: Cargo Ship Fire

Sri Lanka

A. SITUATION ANALYSIS

Description of the disaster

On 20 May 2021, cargo ship X-PRESS PEARL, with 1,486 containers on board carrying 25 tons of nitric acid, caustic soda, solid sodium methoxide solution, cosmetics, methanol and vinyl acetate, including micro plastics, plastic pellets together with other cargo, caught fire approximately nine nautical miles (16 kilometres) off the coast of Colombo’s commercial shipping harbour. The fire continued to burn until end-May 2021 and a number of small explosions were heard from the container ship during the fire. The Sri Lankan Navy, Airforce and Coast Guard, supported by the Indian Navy, worked around the clock to contain the fire for nearly two weeks.

The firefighting was made difficult and complicated by the southwest monsoon rains/high winds and highly flammable poisonous cargo. A 25-member crew on the ship (with members from India, Philippines, China and Russia) was evacuated and treated in hospitals in Colombo. One crew member tested positive for COVID-19. According to Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA), this was Sri Lanka’s worst environmental disaster in its history with unimaginable consequences to the marine environment. The situation was brought under control by 1 June 2021 and the fire was contained, although thick smoke clouds were seen emitted from the ship as well as small explosions continued from the ship.

The fire caused spilling of damaged containers, micro plastics, about estimated 3 billion tiny plastic pellets, chemicals and other harmful toxic substance into the sea which was spread across vast areas of western side of the coastline mainly affecting the districts of Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara. Chemical spills and plastic pellets caused massive damage to the coastline, natural marine environment and ecosystem, including damage to a number of popular tourist areas and resorts. Beaches were thickly coated with plastic pellets; micro plastics and some oil slick was visible in the water. The plastic pallets used to make polythene bags and other plastic products caused fatal damage to marine life and dead sea turtles, fish and birds were seen along the coastline. Local people were strictly advised not to touch any of the debris as it could be highly toxic and harmful for the human body.

Fishing was banned in the area and, according to the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development (DFARD), more than 16,500 fishers and their families living along the western coastal lines were affected. Prior to this incident, the fishers could not venture into the sea for two weeks as they were warned of adverse monsoon weather conditions with heavy rains in the western coastal belt. The fisheries sector had already been affected due to the COVID19 pandemic and this incident further exacerbated the conditions of lives and livelihoods of fisher communities.