Govt. to hold shipping agent accountable for environmental damage in Colombo Port blast

• Minister Nimal Siripala directs SLPA Chief to conduct thorough investigation 

The Government has indicated that the shipping agent will be held accountable for any environmental damage and pollution resulting from the blast in Colombo Port on Sunday. 

A blast occurred on board the JCT 4MS vessel MV MSC CAPETOWN III around 0030 hours on 11 August, near the Bay42 area of the Colombo Port. 

The explosion prompted an immediate evacuation of all operations staff and supporting crew members from the vessel. 

The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) fire brigade, along with safety personnel, medical teams, and security officers, were quickly alerted and mobilised to respond to the emergency.

Thanks to the swift action of the Colombo Port’s fire department, the fire that followed the blast was successfully extinguished, preventing further damage to the vessel and the port area. No casualties have been reported so far and the situation was under control.

The MV MSC CAPETOWN III, owned by a shipping company based in Geneva, Switzerland, had recently arrived at the Port of Colombo from Singapore. The vessel was scheduled to unload 995 containers and load an additional 880 containers before the incident occurred, according to the SLPA.

Following the blast, Ports, Shipping and Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has directed SLPA Chairman Dr. Keith Bernard to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the incident.