News

Foreign disaster management officers board burnt vessel for first time

Published

2 years ago

2021/06/2

By Ifham Nizam

Three Disaster Management Officers who were sent by the owners of the Singapore-flagged stricken container ship X-Press Pearl yesterday boarded the vessel for the first time to inspect it after fire was brought under control near the Colombo harbour.

“They have to share their observations with the National Aquatic Resources Agency (NARA), Central Environmental Authority (CEA), Marine Environment Pollution Authority (MEPA) and International Maritime Organisation, etc.,” a senior official said.

All tugs belonging to Sri Lanka Shipping Containers had now been removed, an official said.

Meanwhile, a team including officials from the Maritime Safety Authority had visited the ‘Explosive Pearl’ yesterday, a senior official said.

Sri Lanka Navy yesterday said it had deployed nine divers to investigate a suspected water leak in the stern area of the container ship.

Navy Spokesperson Captain Indika de Silva told journalists that the fire onboard the ship had been doused.

However, he noted the engine rooms in the stern were flooded and thus a tilt to the rear was observed.

Fire on the ship had been brought under control and a report on the ship is to be received from the officers who boarded the ship, said the Marine Environment Protection Authority official.

The CID yesterday completed the initial inquiries and the recording of statements regarding the complaint filed over the fire on the container ship ‘X-Press Pearl’.

On Monday, CID recorded statements from the Captain, the Chief Engineer, and the Deputy Chief Engineer of the ship, at a hotel in Wellawatte.

The Island

learns that the Captain of the vessel was interrogated for nearly 14 hours while the Chief Engineer and the Deputy Chief Engineer were grilled for 13 and 12 hours.

The CID has recorded statements from seven members of the ship by yesterday and the process is continuing with the serious nature of the damage caused to the marine environment.

The collated facts regarding the incident will be promptly presented to the court, according Police Spokesman, DIG, Attorney-at-Law, Ajith Rohana.

The Sri Lanka Navy also said that no fire or oil spill had been observed from the stricken vessel so far.

However, as smoke was observed from the middle of the ship, cooling procedures were in progress.

With the public rejecting fish consumption due to the ‘X-Press Pearl’ spilling its toxic cargo, fishermen of Negombo cooked and consumed the fish they brought ashore yesterday in a bid to restore public confidence.

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News

Stay on course and don’t go back to the past – Dr Indrajit Coomaraswamy

Published

4 hours ago

2023/03/24

Priyan

Former Governor of the Central Bank delivering the keynote address at a high profile Webinar hosted by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka today (24) said that Sri Lanka must implement the structural reforms proposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) without relaxing like in the past or else we will be in a deeper economic mess.

The webinar was titled ‘What is next for Sri Lanka in the wake of the IMF programme’

News

Sustainable economic development goals cannot be achieved unless attention is paid to mitigating climate change – Sagala Ratnayake

Published

4 hours ago

2023/03/24

Priyan

President’s Senior Adviser on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff Sagala Ratnayake said sustainable economic development goals cannot be accomplished without taking steps to mitigate climate change.

He said this while participating in the 10,000 sapling planting program organized by the LEO Youth Vision 2048 Club and the LEO Club at the Royal College, Colombo on Thursday (23rd).

This program was organized in view of President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s birthday, which is today (24), and the required plants were distributed to the main schools of the Colombo District.

News

SF claims thousands of police and military personnel leaving

Published

16 hours ago

2023/03/24

Thilina Walpola

By Saman Indrajith

Thousands of police and military personnel had left the services recently as they did not want to carry out illegal orders, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka told Parliament yesterday. According to the war-winning army commander 200 policemen have resigned during the past two months and 25,000 soldiers have left the army during the last two years.

“We urged the law enforcement and military officials not to follow illegal orders. We will reinstate them with back pay,” he said.

Fonseka also urged the President and the government MPs not to take people for fools.

“Sri Lanka owes 55 billion dollars to the world. Ranil’s plan is to borrow another seven billion during the next four years. So, in four years we will owe 62 billion to the world.

Ranil and his ministers ask us what the alternative to borrowing is. These are the people who destroyed the economy and society. They must leave. Then, we will find an alternative and develop the country,” he said, adding that the IMF loans had made crises in other nations worse.

“Ranil says that by 2025, we will have a budget surplus as in Japan, Germany and South Korea. These countries are economic power houses, and this comparison is ludicrous.”