Officials fear disaster as ship full of chemicals, oil sinks off Sri Lanka

A fire-stricken container ship off the coast of Sri Lanka that started to sink Wednesday is becoming a source of concern for a potential environmental disaster, according to local officials.

The ship, called the MV X-Press Pearl, could create an oil spill emergency as it was filled with chemicals including nitric acid and carrying nearly 350 metric tons of oil, CNN reported.

Operators of the ship, X-Press Feeders, told NBC News that efforts to remove the ship from shallow waters failed Tuesday, raising fears of an ecological disaster.

“The ship’s aft portion is now touching bottom at a depth of 21 meters (70 feet),” the company wrote in a statement, adding that the forward area is still afloat but spewing smoke.

Sri Lankan government officials shared later on Tuesday that the ship was successfully moved to deeper waters, but expressed concern that oil could begin to leak from the ship.

“Emergency measures are [being] taken to protect the lagoon and surrounding areas to contain the damage form any debris or in case of an oil leak,” Sri Lanka’s State Minister of Fisheries, Kanchana Wijesekera, wrote in a tweet detailing the situation.

#Emergency preventing measures are taken to protect the lagoon and surrounding areas to contain the damage form any debris or in case of an #oilleak. Vessels fishing in around the area and high seas are also informed of possible debris and to be vigilant.

— Kanchana Wijesekera (@kanchana_wij) June 2, 2021

X-Press Feeders on Tuesday said that an inspection team boarded the ship after mitigating the fire and discovered that the ship’s engine room was flooded.

“There are now concerns over the amount of water in the hull and its effect on the ship’s stability,” X-Press Feeders said.

The X-Press Pearl was en route from India to Malaysia when, on May 20, a fire broke out on board. It was carrying 1,486 containers, with 81 containers holding “dangerous goods,” including 25 metric tons of nitric acid at the time, according to CNN.

A criminal investigation headed by Sri Lankan authorities was launched into how the fire began on the ship.