Joint efforts of Sri Lanka and India Report by Amey Haldankar
Delhi, Jun 2: The Singaporean container ship which had caught fire off the coast of Colombo, Sri Lanka, has been extinguished (put out). (Read more about this in the edition of May 31st)
Sri Lankan and Indian firefighters from MEPA (Marine Environment Protection Authority) and ICGS (Indian Coast Guard Services) worked together to achieve this.
They were helped by Vajra and Vaibhav, 2 patrol boats of the Indian Coast Guard that are capable of spraying about 600 litres of water. The fire led to a temporary ban on fishing and travel in the region. It took 12 days of sustained firefighting to put out the fire.
The ship carried hazardous (dangerous) chemicals which have caused some pollution in the Sri Lankan waters and beaches. Sri Lanka has started an investigation to understand the cause of the fire.
All the crew members of the ship are in quarantine in Sri Lanka and will now be questioned by the Sri Lankan authorities about how the fire started and whether enough fire safety measures were taken on the ship. Sri Lanka’s Marine Environment Protection Agency has said that after investigation, it will fine the ship’s owner company for the pollution caused by the fire and leakage.