Firefighting continues on ravaged X-Press Pearl as Sri Lanka assesses widespread environmental injury

Firefighting operations continued for a seventh day Thursday on the badly burnt 2,700 teu X-Press Pearl, with some hopeful indicators within the afternoon off Colombo because the smoke from the ship turned from pitch black to white, suggesting the worst of the blaze had been doused for now.

The ship, carrying 25 tons of nitric acid amongst 1,486 containers it was taking from the Center East to Singapore, first alerted Colombo Port to a fireplace onboard final Thursday.

Sri Lankan authorities warned that the ship may sink right this moment, in addition to urging locals to stay away from doubtlessly poisonous particles washing up on the nation’s shores.

The vessel, anchored exterior Colombo harbour, is carrying 278 tonnes of bunker oil and 50 tonnes of marine gasoil.

The fireplace is believed to have began in a container of poorly packaged nitric acid.

Sri Lanka’s Marine Atmosphere Safety Authority (MEPA) additionally warned right this moment of the danger of acid rain falling throughout the island after every week’s price of harmful nitrogen oxide gasoline has been spewing into the environment from the burning ship.

The crew of the boxship at the moment are in quarantine after one of many group was discovered to have Covid-19.

Politicians confronted criticism right this moment for permitting the ship to name after it was not allowed to dump leaking packing containers in India and Qatar.