No oil spill, but Container Ship MV X-Press Pearl partially sunk, says ICG

Despite the week-long, successful firefighting effort by the Indian Coast Guard and Sri Lankan tugs, Container ship MV X-Press Pearl has sunk partially.

Salvors (technical persons engaged in retrieving a ship) had boarded the mangled and burnt vessel on Tuesday for inspection and assessment. However, from the early hours of Wednesday water started entering the vessel from its side, thus adversely affecting its draught/draft (when draught is normal the vessel floats at a normal level) and trim (when the trim is normal, the front at near float at equal levels).

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Attempts to tow away the vessel were not successful as the damaged vessel sunk, with its rear portion touching the sea bed. It is understood that the sea floor at the location is at a depth of 22 meters. Only some of the taller portions of the ship such as its superstructure (upward extension that distinctly rises above the platform) are visible above the water. The damaged ship is also partially tilted to one side, owing to the ingress of water.

Diving operations are being undertaken by Sri Lankan Navy divers to carry out underwater hull inspection. Technical deliberations to salvage the vessel are also in progress by the salvors.

When it caught fire, the container ship was carrying 1,486 containers of chemical cargo classified under International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG). Among other chemicals, the IMDG cargo consisted of highly inflammable Nitric Acid, Methanol, Methyl Acetate, Sodium Hydroxide and Polystyrene beads.

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The initial fire which broke out onMay 20, while at anchorage, was brought under control by the efforts of Sri Lankan authorities and the Salvage team within a day. However, in the early hours of May 25, flames re-erupted in the ship due to containers falling onboard in rough weather and their highly reactive chemical contents leaking.

All the 13 crew and the 12 salvors working onboard were safely evacuated by the Sri Lankan authorities, as the fire quickly spread, thereby engulfing the entire ship.

The partial sinking of this vessel with chemicals and a sizeable quantity of fuel has led to environmental concerns.

Indian Coast Guard Ships including the specialised Pollution Response vessel Samudra Prahari and Offshore patrol vessel Vajra are in the vicinity of the accident site. The Indian vessels are in Pollution Response configuration, which means that they are equipped to deal with any oil spill or related eventuality. Sri Lankan vessels and tugs too are in the region for the operations.

However, at present, no oil spill has been reported by the authorities and this has also been confirmed by Indian Coast Guard Dornier aircraft (from Madurai) that has been undertaking daily aerial reconnaissance of the area. Additional pollution response gears are being augmented by ICG.

The coordinated operation between India and Sri Lanka, undertaken to respond to potential environmental danger, has been christened Sagar Aaraksha-II.

Indian Coast Guard is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with Sri Lankan Navy, Coast Guard, MEPA and other authorities to address any impending environmental damage due to the sinking of the vessel close to the coast. Additional ICG formations at Kochi, Chennai and Tuticorin remain on standby for immediate assistance, if any, towards Pollution Response.

ICG being an active member of South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP) remains committed to its responsibilities of safeguarding the ocean environment in the region.