A probe has been launched to ascertain whether proper approval was taken to bring the goods contained in the cargo ship which recently collided with the Baltimore Bridge in America while on its way to Sri Lanka, State Minister of Environment Janaka Wakkumbura said.

The State Minister informed the Parliament of Sri Lanka today that the probe has already commenced. 

Stating that Sri Lanka’s Central Environmental Authority was not informed of the contents of the cargo ship, he said the details were known only due to the ship accident. 

State Minister Wakkumbura made the remarks in response to questions raised by Opposition Leader MP Sajith Premadasa and SLPP MP Charitha Herath concerning the said cargo ship.

Opposition Leader MP Premadasa pointed out that the Baltimore Bridge accident had revealed that such a vessel was enroute to Sri Lanka, which would have gone uninformed if not. 

MP Premadasa called for a probe into the matter, urging the authorities to find out how such a vessel was travelling to Sri Lanka without the knowledge of the Central Environmental Authority. 

Meanwhile, SLPP MP Charitha Herath said ships containing hazardous contents must receive prior approval to pass through Sri Lanka’s ports, adding that upon inquiries, the Central Environmental Authority had confirmed no such approval had been sought by the said vessel. 

“Sri Lanka ratified the Basel Convention in 1992, which can be used as a method to find out about this ship. According to the US Department of Homeland Security, this ship carries 764 containers of Class-9 hazardous waste. It was headed for the South Asia Gateway Terminal at the Colombo Port. The ship’s local agent is a well-established company. Given the circumstances, there might be a relaxation of the law to some extent. We need to proactively intervene in this matter. The country has already suffered from two major ship disasters in the past,” MP Herath further warned. 

Six people died after the Dali cargo ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the US last Tuesday, causing shipments to be suspended in and out of one of the country’s busiest ports.

In total, 21 crew members, including one from Sri Lanka, were on board the Dali at the time of the accident, which happened just minutes into the ship’s 27-day journey to Sri Lanka.

Officials have announced that a temporary alternative route for ships is to be opened in the US city of Baltimore following the collapse of the major bridge, while efforts are underway to remove debris from the water. (NewsWire)

#SriLanka ratified the Basel Convention in 1992. According to @DHSgov, this ship carries 764 containers of Class-9 hazardous waste. The ship’s local agent is a well-established company. It is headed for SAGT. Given the circumstances, there might be a relaxation of the law to some… pic.twitter.com/A4VZAW7ntK

— Manthri.LK_Watch (@ManthriLK_Watch) April 2, 2024

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A major bridge has collapsed in the US city of Baltimore after it was hit by a cargo ship reportedly heading towards Sri Lanka, it was reported.

Footage shows a large section of the 1.6-mile-long Francis Scott Key Bridge falling into the water following the collision at around 1.30 am local time.

Baltimore’s fire service said emergency teams are searching for at least seven people.

Data from MarineTraffic reports that the container ship, known as Dali, was headed to Colombo in Sri Lanka at the time of the collision. 

The data further shows the Singapore-flagged ship stopped at the bridge. (NewsWire)

BREAKING: Ship collides with Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse pic.twitter.com/OcOrSjOCRn

— BNO News (@BNONews) March 26, 2024

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