Container ship X-Press Pearl burns and sinks off Colombo
Container ship X-Press Pearl burns and sinks off Colombo. The disruption ran from 2021-05-20 (20 May 2021) to 2021-06-02 (2 June 2021), 14 days, affecting Colombo. No measured effect is published for this event; the effect section explains why.
Key facts
- Started
- 2021-05-20 (20 May 2021)
- Ended
- 2021-06-02 (2 June 2021)
- Status
- ended
- Type
- Fire
- Severity
- 1 Minor
- Scope
- port
- Chokepoints
- None
- Ports
- Colombo
- Lanes
- None
- Countries
- Sri Lanka
- Confidence
- high: The firefighting timeline and the state of the vessel are confirmed by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, with consistent reporting of the start of the fire and the sinking in two trade outlets.
- First reported
- 2021-05-24 (24 May 2021)
- Severity basis: No source records a stoppage of Port of Colombo operations; the loss was confined to one vessel and its cargo at the anchorage, with a local ban on shipping and fishing in the affected area.
What happened
A fire broke out aboard the container ship X-Press Pearl at the Colombo anchorage on 2021-05-20 (20 May 2021), about 9.5 miles off the Sri Lankan capital, and the vessel sank during a tow attempt on or about 2021-06-02 (2 June 2021). The ship was carrying 1,486 containers loaded in part at Hazira, India, including nitric acid and other chemicals. Firefighting involved the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, the Sri Lanka Navy and the Indian Coast Guard. The Sri Lanka Ports Authority reported on 2021-05-30 that the hull remained structurally intact. Salvors boarded on 2021-06-01, when the fire was reported out and the government ordered the ship towed to deeper water. Sri Lanka barred shipping and fishing in the affected area. No source records a suspension of Port of Colombo operations.
Measured effect
No measured effect is published for this event. This event does not have a dated physical effect on port calls or transits that a daily series could measure.
The vessel burned and sank at the anchorage rather than at a berth. No cited source records a suspension or restriction of Port of Colombo operations, only a local ban on shipping and fishing in the affected area, so a change in the port's daily call series could not be attributed to this event.
Timeline
- Fire breaks out in a deck container aboard the X-Press Pearl at the Colombo anchorage. The operator reports all 25 crew safe and the fire under control by 2021-05-24, with tugs cooling the vessel. [s2]
- The Sri Lanka Ports Authority reports that firefighting tugs continue, that the hull remains structurally intact and that no oil or chemical spill has been observed, while salvors examine a tow connection. [s1]
- Salvors board the vessel and the fire is confirmed extinguished. The government orders the ship moved to deep water away from the coast. [s3]
- The vessel settles by the stern during the tow attempt and partially sinks about 9.5 miles off Colombo. Sri Lanka bans shipping and fishing in the affected area. [s4]
Cause
The operator said early indications pointed to a chemical reaction in hazardous cargo carried in containers, and Sri Lankan authorities opened an investigation, including a court order requiring three of the ship's officers to remain in the country. Attributed by: X-Press Feeders and the Sri Lankan criminal investigation. [s2] [s3]
The cause is under investigation.
Resolution
Corrections
No corrections to this record as of 2026-09-16 (16 September 2026).
Sources
- [s1] Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Fire on X-Press Pearl: Vessel's hull remains structurally intact, published 2021-05-30 (30 May 2021), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (official)
- [s2] gCaptain, Chemical Fire on 'X-Press Pearl' Under Control Off Colombo, Sri Lanka -Operator, published 2021-05-24 (24 May 2021), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (press)
- [s3] The Maritime Executive, Photos: Fire Out on X-Press Pearl as Sri Lanka Orders Tow Out to Sea, published 2021-06-01 (1 June 2021), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (press)
- [s4] The Maritime Executive, X-Press Pearl Containership Partially Sinks During Tow Attempt, published 2021-06-02 (2 June 2021), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (press)