News
X-Press Pearl sinking
MV ‘X-Press Pearl’ cargo ship has begun sinking off the Colombo Port after being ablaze for two weeks.
An attempt was made yesterday to tow it away to deep seas to minimise the damage from the expected massive oil spill to Sri Lanka’s beaches.
The Singaporean-flagged cargo ship began taking in water on Wednesday, halting efforts to put out the enduring fire. On Tuesday, experts from Smit Salvours boarded the vessel while SLN divers investigated a suspected water leak in the stern area of the severely damaged vessel.
“The salvage company involved in X-Press Pearl has indicated that the vessel is sinking at the current position,” Fisheries State Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said in a tweet.
The Negombo Lagoon, near which the crippled vessel is located, has been closed for entry, while fishing operations have been suspended along the coast.
“Emergency measures are being taken to protect the lagoon and surrounding areas to contain the damage from any debris or in case of an oil leak,” the minister added.
Images released by the Sri Lanka Air Force show the partially submerged vessel being towed away from the coast by a tugboat. The badly burnt vessel was still emitting a plume of smoke as it began to sink.
The ship is believed to still have a large amount of oil in its tanks – it had some 350 metric tons on board when the blaze broke out – and its sinking is likely to produce a major spill. The country’s Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) said it expected beaches along a 30-km (50-mile) stretch of the coast to be hit by the impending disaster, sources said.
The vessel caught fire back on May 20, while being anchored off the country’s west coast. The ship was carrying nearly 1,500 containers of assorted chemicals, including 25 tons of nitric acid. Despite the efforts of the Sri Lankan and Indian militaries, the blaze has not been fully extinguished.
Multiple containers fell off the ship during the nearly two-week fire accompanied by an explosion, spilling their hazardous contents into the water. Beaches of Sri Lanka have already been littered with various debris, including a large haul of plastic pellets. MEPA has launched operations to clean up the detritus as they continue to get washed onto the beaches.
The MV ‘X-Press Pearl’ has had an extremely short career, as it was only delivered to its owner X-Press Feeders in February this year. The vessel has made only a handful of voyages, catching fire shortly after it made its third – and last – port call.
The government, under heavy Opposition fire over inclusion of a sex website in the Grade 6 English module, as well as overall education reforms, has decided to put on hold reforms in respect of Grade 6.
Cabinet Spokesman and Media and Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced the government decision yesterday (13) at the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Information Department.
According to him, the decision had been taken at the previous day’s Cabinet meeting, chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Dr. Jayatissa said that education reforms pertaining to Garde 6 had been put on hold until 2027.
The Minister said that other proposed education reforms would be implemented as planned. The Minister said that action would be taken against those responsible for the inclusion of a link to a sex website following investigations conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department and the National Education Institute.
The SJB and several other political parties, as well as civil society groups, have accused the government of promoting an LGBTQ agenda, through the proposed education reforms.
The Opposition grouping Mahajana Handa, on Monday, made representations to the Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatta Chapter regarding the controversial reforms, while urging their intervention to halt the project.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday (13) vowed to go ahead with his government’s agenda, regardless of the destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Emphasising the responsibility on the part of all to contribute to the post-Ditwah recovery efforts, President Dissanayake said that he would have complete faith in the public service.
The President said so at the launch of the re-building Sri Lanka project at the BMICH yesterday.
The JVP and NPP leader said that he wouldn’t take advantage of the death and destruction caused by the cyclone or use the situation as an excuse to reverse their agenda or weaken it.
President Dissanayake said that in spite of many calling for amending the then Budget, in view of the cyclone, the government presented the proposals that were agreed before the disaster struck.
The United States has announced that it will provide the Sri Lanka Air Force with 10 US Navy TH-57 helicopters free of charge.
The announcement was made by outgoing US Ambassador Julie Chung, who stated, on social media, that the helicopters would be transferred under the United States’ Excess Defence Articles programme. The aircraft are Bell 206 Sea Ranger helicopters previously operated by the US Navy.
US sources said that the transfer was intended to strengthen Sri Lanka’s disaster response capabilities, following the devastating cyclone that struck the island at the end of 2025 and killed more than 600 people. US officials have framed the move as a humanitarian measure aimed at improving aerial rescue and relief operations.
Fair weather will prevail except for a few showers in the Uva, Eastern, Western and Central provinces and in Galle, Matara and Rathnapura districts
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