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Accidents

X-Press Pearl (2021)

On 20 May 2021, the Singapore-registered container ship X-Press Pearl caught fire while anchored about nine nautical miles from Colombo. The Singapore Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB) could not conclusively establish the ignition source because much of the evidence was destroyed, but found that a leaking nitric-acid container probably contributed to the fire. The vessel was abandoned on 25 May and sank on 2 June 2021. All 25 crew were evacuated; two crew members were injured during the evacuation. [TSIB final report](https://isomer-user-content.by.gov.sg/287/484bc3ac-e92f-459d-b5b7-6e1e676a7aaf/final-report---tib-mai-cas-110---fire-onboard-x-press-pearl-colombo-anchorage-20-may-2021.pdf), pp. 9-10, 45-47, 123-128.

Classification

  • Incident type: Fire / Sinking
  • Severity: High
  • Human impact: Two crew members injured during evacuation; all 25 crew evacuated.
  • Environmental impact: Hazardous cargo, plastic pellets and other debris polluted Sri Lanka’s marine and coastal environment.

Vessel Details

FieldValue
Vessel nameX-Press Pearl
Vessel typeContainer ship
Flag stateSingapore [SG]
IMO number9875343
MMSI563118200
Call sign9V6962
Gross tonnage31,629
LOA186.0 m
Breadth34.8 m
Container capacity2,756 TEU
DeliveredFebruary 2021
Crew at occurrence25

Incident Details

FieldValue
Date2021-05-20
LocationColombo Anchorage, about 9 nautical miles from Port of Colombo, Sri Lanka
Coordinates6.8411, 79.8657
RegionIndian Ocean
Fatalities
Injuries2
Missing
Containers on board1,486, including 81 containing dangerous cargo
Direct damageFire spread through the cargo areas, accommodation and engine room before the vessel was abandoned and later sank.
Environmental damagePlastic pellets, hazardous cargo and other debris affected Sri Lankan coastal and marine areas
Vessels lost1

Key facts

  • The fire began in the cargo area at about 10:30 local time on 20 May while the ship was at anchor.
  • A nitric-acid container had been reported leaking before Colombo, and requests to offload it at Port Hamad and Hazira were unsuccessful.
  • The TSIB classified the occurrence as a very serious marine casualty and issued safety recommendations to the company, operator, shipper and Port of Colombo.
  • The Sri Lankan Supreme Court’s 24 July 2025 judgment described extensive environmental and livelihood damage and ordered an initial USD 1 billion payment by the X-Press Pearl group. This was a legal compensation order, not a final estimate of total economic loss.

Narrative

The X-Press Pearl arrived in Sri Lankan territorial waters after a nitric-acid leak had already been identified during the voyage. The leak had been reported at Port Hamad and the ship sought to offload the container at Hamad and later Hazira, but the requests were not completed. After leaving Hazira, rolling and pitching likely increased the leak. The TSIB found that nitric acid probably reacted with rubber seals and affected nearby containers, including containers carrying methanol, leading to larger fires. The report also found that the applicable CTU Code and IMDG Code packing requirements had not been complied with.

The crew initially used boundary cooling and the fixed carbon-dioxide system. Some ventilation flaps could not be closed because of heat and smoke, and the entire CO2 bank was released in one operation without verifying the quantity required for the loading condition. Shore firefighting support was limited and the assisting tugs had operational limitations. Salvors boarded on 23 May, but the fire spread to other cargo areas, the accommodation and the engine room. On 25 May, the crew left the ship by descending on mooring ropes to the tug Hercules. The TSIB recorded injuries to the additional chief officer and third engineer during that descent. The vessel was later towed about one nautical mile, sank stern-first on 2 June, and subsequently settled on the seabed.

Sequence of events

Date/timeEvent
2021-05-09 to 2021-05-15A leak was identified before or at Port Hamad; the ship later called at Port Hamad and Hazira, where offloading the leaking container was not completed.
2021-05-19X-Press Pearl arrived in Sri Lankan territorial waters and anchored about 9.5 nautical miles from Colombo. The local agent reported fumes and the planned berthing was cancelled.
2021-05-20 10:30 localFire began in the cargo area while the vessel was at anchor.
2021-05-23A 12-person salvage team boarded and took over firefighting command and control.
2021-05-25Fire and explosions spread through the vessel. All crew were evacuated to Hercules; two crew members were injured during the descent.
2021-06-02The vessel sank after a tow attempt, about nine nautical miles from Colombo.

Contributing factors

FactorEvidence statusDescription
Leaking nitric-acid container and chemical reactionsSuspectedTSIB could not conclusively establish the ignition source, but found that leaking nitric acid probably contributed to the development of the fire and likely caused exothermic reactions near rubber seals and methanol containers.
Cargo packing and documentationConfirmed findingTSIB found that CTU Code and IMDG Code packing requirements had not been complied with, and that the nitric-acid IBC manufacture date was not known to the shipper and operator.
Leak handling and offloadingConfirmed findingTSIB found gaps in early inspection, information sharing and coordination between the company and the ports in Hamad and Hazira to remove the leaking container.
Fire response and shore supportConfirmed findingTSIB found that the cargo hold was not completely sealed before CO2 release, the entire CO2 bank was exhausted in one release, shipboard command and control was poorly coordinated, and shore firefighting support was limited.

Investigation

The Singapore TSIB final report, dated 16 October 2023, classified the occurrence as a very serious marine casualty. It stated that the cause of the fire could not be conclusively established and made recommendations covering shipboard emergency response, dangerous-goods booking and packing, crew communication, Port of Colombo firefighting capability and recovery of the voyage data recorder.

The Sri Lankan Parliament Select Committee report, presented on 4 September 2024, reviewed the timeline, pollution, cleanup and institutional response. The Sri Lankan Supreme Court judgment delivered on 24 July 2025 addressed the environmental and livelihood consequences, directed an initial USD 1 billion payment by the X-Press Pearl group, and created continuing compensation and environmental-restoration mechanisms. The court’s liability and compensation findings should be distinguished from the TSIB’s safety investigation into the fire’s cause.

References

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