UPDATED: Photo Story: Container ship on fire off the coast of Sri Lanka

A handout photo made available by the Sri Lankan Air force Media shows the Singapore-registered container vessel MV X-Press Pearl on fire, nine nautical miles northwest of Colombo port in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The fire broke out on the Singapore-flagged container vessel MV X-Press Pearl anchored about 9.5 nautical miles (18km) northwest of Colombo awaiting entry into the port.

The Sri Lanka Navy said the explosion was caused by chemicals being transported on the ship carrying over 1,000 containers, including 25 tonnes of nitric acid and other chemicals from the port of Hazira, India.

The 25-member crew were evacuated by the Navy on 25 May, while two injured members were hospitalized and one was tested positive for Covid-19

The charred remains of a container from the burning ship MV X-Press Pearl, washed ashore and secured with a cable in the Kapungoda, northwest of Colombo, Sri Lanka. EPA-EFE/CHAMILA KARUNARATHNE

Photo: EPA-EFE/SRI LANKAN AIR FORCE MEDIA

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