X-Press Pearl Accident; Learning from one of the Worst Maritime Disasters

The Xpress Pearl was a new-built container ship that was totally destroyed and sank due to an onboard fire and explosion event near the western coast of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean. This accident is regarded as one of the worst maritime pollution disasters to happen anywhere in the world. The accident released vast amounts of hazardous and noxious substances including various persistent pollutants. The huge quantity of plastic nurdles released in this accident will prevail in the ocean and the coastal environment for decades to come, thereby contributing to a significant micro-plastic pollution in the region. The event also unfolded a catastrophic socio-economic outcome, primarily due to the pollution inflicted on the sensitive and populated coastal area in the vicinity of the accident.
This paper discusses the plausible causes and series of mishaps that lead to this disaster, and consequent incident management failures which then magnified and escalated the initial event. The paper will also present the key lessons that must be extracted from this disaster in order to minimize the likelihood of similar events happening again. The first two authors had directly involved in advisory activities from the onset of the accident until the final investigations were completed by the Marine Environment Protection Authority of Sri Lanka (MEPA). Some details related to this accident are available to the public now, after several years since the disaster happened. The Xpress Pearl disaster must lead to wide and comprehensive changes in the regulations applicable to global maritime trade; particularly regarding the transportation of hazardous and noxious substances using ordinary container ships. Further, management practices associated with decision making procedures related to the handling of this kind of accidents must be reviewed.

Keywords: Exothermic reactions, Fire and explosions, Maritime accidents, Marine pollution, X-Press Pearl disaster.