Sri Lankan firefighters extinguish 12-day blaze on container ship

Firefighters in Sri Lanka have extinguished a blaze on a container ship that had been burning for 12 days, as a court imposed a travel ban on the captain

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  Smoke billows from the Singapore-registered container ship 'MV X-Press Pearl', which has been burning for the 11th consecutive day as efforts to put out the fire continue off Sri Lanka's Colombo Harbour. AFP

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  Members of Sri Lankan Navy walk past the stacked sacks filled with debris washed ashore from the Singapore-registered container ship 'MV X-Press Pearl'. AFP

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  A crab roams on a beach polluted with polythene pellets that washed ashore from burning ship 'MV X-Press Pearl'. AP Photo

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  A Sri Lanka Navy officer patrols the shore as he walks through the washed up debris. AFP

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  Sri Lanka's Air Force personnel remove debris washed ashore. AFP

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  A resident walks past the remains of a burnt container washed ashore. AFP

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  Smoke billows from the Singapore-registered container ship 'MV X-Press Pearl'. AFP

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  Sri Lankan Navy personnel try to remove damaged containers. EPA

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  Sri Lanka Air Force personnel wearing protective clothing clear the beach from debris and other materials. EPA

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  Members of Sri Lankan Navy remove debris washed ashore. AFP

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  Members of Sri Lankan Navy remove debris washed ashore. AFP

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  Members of Sri Lankan Navy conduct clean-up operation. AFP

Firefighters in Sri Lanka extinguished a blaze on a container ship that had been burning for 12 days on Tuesday, as a court imposed a travel ban on the captain.

The fire on the MV X-Press Pearl ravaged the five-month-old ship, destroyed most of its cargo and caused severe pollution in the ocean and along a long stretch of the island nation's beaches.

Salvage personnel "have finally embarked on MV X-Press Pearl after dousing the fire", the Sri Lanka Ports Authority said.

"Assessments are being carried out,” it added.

MV X-Press Pearl was anchored off the capital, Colombo, waiting to enter its port, when it caught fire.

The Sri Lanka Navy believes the blaze was caused by chemicals that were being transported on the Singapore-flagged vessel.

It was carrying 1,486 containers, including 25 tonnes of nitric acid and other chemicals that were loaded at the port of Hazira, India, on May 15.

Police spokesman Ajith Rohana said police have questioned the ship’s captain and an official of the ship’s local agent.

He said a court in Colombo banned the captain, the engineer and the assistant engineer from leaving the country.

The vessel’s 25-member crew was evacuated last week after an explosion.

They included Filipino, Chinese, Indian and Russian nationals.