Container ship evacuated after explosion off Colombo

In this photo provided by Sri Lanka Air Force, smoke rises from the container vessel MV X-Press Pearl engulfed in flames off Colombo port, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, May 25, 2021. An explosion occurred Tuesday on a ship anchored off Sri Lanka’s capital on which a fire had been burning for several days, prompting the evacuation of all crew members, officials said. (Sri Lanka Air Force via AP)

An explosion on a ship anchored near Sri Lanka’s capital, on which a fire had been burning for several days, has prompted the crew’s evacuation, officials said.

The container vessel MV X-Press Pearl was anchored about nine and a half nautical miles north-west of Colombo and waiting to enter its port when the fire erupted four days ago, the Sri Lankan navy said.