Container Fire: 25 Tons Of Nitric Acid, Other Chemicals And Cosmetics Were The Cause

Recently, at the Colombo anchorage, the cargo on a container ship "x press pearl" suddenly caught fire. There were 1486 containers on board, including 25 tons of nitric acid, other chemicals and cosmetics. Subsequently, the fire of the ship was controlled for a time, but then the situation was out of control, and the ship exploded and rekindled again. This fire accident is expected to cause very serious consequences.

The ship deteriorated in the morning of 25th local time, and burst into flames when it was burning. The scene was very tragic.

A spokesman for the Sri Lankan Navy said that due to the deteriorating weather conditions, explosions were heard inside the ship in the early morning of May 25, and the fire continued to burn. At present, all 25 crew members on board have been evacuated. The crew came from the Philippines, Russia, China and India, and two of the injured Indian crew members have been taken to hospital for treatment.

After the explosion, Sri Lanka asked India to help put out the fire. The Indian Coast Guard sent a plane to observe the scene, and later in the afternoon, three ships from the Indian Coast Guard also arrived at the scene to carry out fire fighting operations.

The ship's owner has also hired Smith, a Dutch rescue company, to help with the fire fighting and is airlifting additional specialized fire-fighting equipment to Sri Lanka.

"We are trying our best to put out the fire on board." Said Rohitha abeygunawardena, Sri Lanka's port and shipping minister“ Although the fire has been effectively controlled in the morning of the 24th, the fire is now being rekindled due to adverse weather conditions and the continuous reaction of chemicals on board

As the ship is in a serious state of emergency, the Sri Lankan authorities are trying to move it 50 nautical miles away from the coastline to prevent damage to the environment; In addition, the strong wind in the area contributed to the spread of the fire more difficult to control. The fire video shows the container and its contents floating in the sea around the ship.

At present, sindurala naval vessels and rapid attack boats of Sri Lanka navy are still deployed at the scene of the rescue operation to assist in the ongoing fire fighting work. In the event of any emergency, the navy is also ready to deploy the tugs immediately. Sri Lanka is ready for the worst-case scenario that could sink.

Container fire is a major problem faced by the shipping industry. Incorrect declaration and false report of dangerous goods will lead to fatal fire, which may take several weeks to put out.

As of the morning of May 25, eight containers had fallen into the sea, Sri Lanka's Marine Environmental Protection Bureau said. Local people should avoid going to nearby beaches or touching any floating objects in the sea, as they may be chemicals from ships. In addition, fishing vessels and other vessels have been warned to stay away from the area.

The Marine Environmental Protection Bureau of Sri Lanka has launched an investigation to assess whether the accident caused damage to the environment. According to local media reports, Sri Lankan authorities have decided to tow the burning container ship to the deep sea.

"X press pearl" is a ship serving the Southeast Asia branch line, involving a number of shipping companies sharing the cabin, including: Hamburg s ü D、HAPAG-LLOYD、MAERSK、MCC、PIL、SEAGO、SEALAND