Colombo ship fire appears under control, no oil spill: Indian Coast Guard

The blaze has led to the large container ship looking mangled on most sides, tilting towards its right and the burnt containers face the risk of falling overboard.

New Delhi: With firefighting operations on Container ship MV X-Press Pearl, off Colombo, running into the fourth day, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has said that fire appears to have reduced in the front and mid region of the ship, while the blaze continues in the rear (Aft).  Based on an aerial survey conducted by the ICG’s Dornier aircraft on Thursday, it is said that there is no oil spill.  Amid adverse weather and rough seas, ICG vessels Vaibhav and Vajra have been fighting the blaze with Sri Lankan vessels by spraying sea water and Aqueous Film Forming foam (Fire suppressant), in sustained day-night efforts.