X-Press Pearl Ship on Fire

The ship X-Press Pearl caught fire off the Port of Colombo on Thursday. The X-Press Pearl is a Singaporean container ship built in 2021 and is about 186 meters long. This morning the ship had an explosion, all crew evacuated. At least eight containers, some feared for containing nitric acid, fell into the sea, and authorities recently introduced swimming bans. While the ship is in poor condition, an operation is underway to move it 50 nautical miles from the coastline. Strong winds in the area turn the flames into a bigger hell.