Fire on Singaporean container ship under control after nine days

Sri Lankan Coast Guard personnel lay booms at an estuary in Negombo, north of Sri Lankan capital Colombo on May 28, 2021, as a precautionary measure towards the debris caused by the Singapore-registered container ship MV X-Press Pearl, which has been burning for the ninth consecutive day in the sea off Sri Lanka's Colombo Harbour. - AFP

SINGAPORE, May 28 (dpa): A fire onboard a Singaporean container ship off Sri Lanka's western coast has been brought under control after nine days, as most of the vessel was destroyed, leaving a trail of environmental destruction, officials said on Friday.

Though the fire on the MV X-Press Pearl was under control, firefighters were taking measures to keep the engine room cool to prevent an oil spill, chairperson of the Marine Environment Protection Authority, Dharshani Lahandapura, said.