X-Press Pearl
X-Press Pearl on 20 May 2021, showing fumes from leaking nitric acid | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Singapore | |
| Name | X-Press Pearl |
| Owner | EOS RO Pte Ltd |
| Operator | X-Press Feeders |
| Port of registry | Singapore |
| Builder | Zhoushan Changhong International Shipyard |
| Yard number | CHB084 |
| Launched | 28 September 2020 |
| Completed | 10 February 2021 |
| Out of service | 27 May 2021 |
| Identification | |
| Fate | Sank off the coast of Colombo, Sri Lanka after a fire erupted 12 days earlier |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Super Eco 2700 |
| Type | Container ship |
| Tonnage | |
| Displacement | 48,848 Tonnes |
| Length | 186.0 m (610 ft 3 in) |
| Beam | 34.8 m (114 ft 2 in) |
| Depth | 17.9 m (58 ft 9 in) |
| Capacity | 2,756 TEUs |
| Crew | 26 |
X-Press Pearl was a Singapore-registered Super Eco 2700–class container ship. The vessel entered service in February 2021 and was around 186 metres (610 ft) long. It was operated by X-Press Feeders.
On 20 May 2021, X-Press Pearl caught fire off the coast of Colombo, Sri Lanka. The vessel was engulfed in flames by 27 May and declared a total loss. It was still afloat, and the fire was thought to be under control by Sri Lankan firefighters by the late hours of 27 May 2021. After burning for 12 days, the vessel sank on 2 June as it was being towed to deeper waters. The incident was deemed the worst marine ecological disaster in Sri Lankan history for the chemical products that spilled.
According to X-Press Feeders, salvage operations to remove the wreck began in November 2021. All work on site is expected to be completed by April 2023. Salvage work was interrupted during the southwest monsoon from late April to November 2022.