Burning cargo vessel could result in slight acid rains in Sri Lanka: Authorities
Colombo, May 29: There could be slight acid rains due to the emission of nitrogen dioxide from the Singapore-flagged cargo ship which caught fire near the Colombo beach last week, Sri Lanka's apex environment body has warned, asking people to be vigilant in case of inclement weather.
The cargo vessel- MV 'X-PRESS PEARL'- was carrying a consignment of chemicals and raw materials for cosmetics from Hazira in Gujarat to Colombo Port. It caught fire 9.5 nautical miles from the coast here, where it was anchored outside the Port of Colombo on May 20.
Apart from the 325 metric tonnes of fuel in its tanks, X-Press Pearl was loaded with 1,486 containers carrying about 25 tonnes of hazardous nitric acid.
We observed that the emission of Nitrogen Dioxide from the MV X-PRESS PEARL was massive. With the emission of Nitrogen Dioxide gas in the rainy season, there could be slight acid rains, Dharshani Lahandapura, Chairperson of Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA), was quoted as saying by newsfirst.lk on Friday.
Especially, the people in the close proximity to the coastal belt, should remain vigilant and ensure that you do not expose yourself to rain these days, the official said.
MEPA said that the blaze has been brought under control to a great extent and the authority is taking all appropriate measures to conduct beach clean-up procedures as soon as possible to avert the risks of pollution caused due to the fire in the cargo ship.
The density of the flames is reducing. Two tug boats are still engaged in firefighting missions and boundary calls. Vessels from the Indian Coast Guard and tug boats from the Sri Lanka Ports Authority and Sri Lanka Navy are monitoring the situation, Lahandapura was quoted as saying in the report.
Lahandapura said they are closely monitoring the situation and there is no sign of any oil spill.
India on Tuesday dispatched ICG Vaibhav, ICG Dornier and Tug Water Lilly to help the Sri Lankan Navy extinguish the fire on the container ship.
India's specialised pollution response vessel Samudra Prahari will reach on Saturday to augment pollution control efforts, the Colombo Gazette reported on Friday.
Updating the joint fire fighting efforts, the Indian High Commission here said that at present, heavy smoke has been observed only near the accommodation/superstructure area in the aft portion of the ship and is being tackled, the report said.
Overall, the MV X-Press Pearl is currently assessed as being stable and not having issues with watertight integrity.
External fire-fighting using foam and boundary cooling by sea-water along the entire length of vessel from either side is under progress and continuous monitoring of vessel's draught, list conditions and presence of hazardous and noxious substances overboard is being undertaken.
"Quantity of combustible material onboard is estimated to be limited. The ICG ships will continue to assess the situation and the decision to board or approach closer to the vessel will be taken after fully dousing the fire and undertaking sufficient boundary cooling, the Indian mission said.
The High Commission said that containers that fell from the vessel were identified and threat assessment for navigation safety have already been carried out and shared with the relevant Sri Lankan authorities, according to the report.
Meanwhile, Navy Commander Nishantha Ulugetenne on Friday said there is no threat of the vessel breaking into two and the ship is now largely stable.
All 25 crew members of the ship -- of Indian, Chinese, Filipino and Russian nationality -- were rescued on Tuesday after a 'fire alarm' dispatch was sent.
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China launches online visa application system for Indian travellers starting today
New Delhi: The Chinese Embassy in India has rolled out a new online visa application system beginning Monday, aiming to make the visa process easier and faster for Indian travellers.
According to a report published by NDTV, the announcement was made by the Chinese Ambassador, who said that from December 22, 2025, applicants can fill out visa forms and upload all required documents online. The new facility can be accessed through the embassy’s official website, offering a more convenient way to apply without lengthy paperwork.
With this system, applicants will be able to complete most of the documentation online, reducing the time spent at the visa centre.
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The Chinese Visa Application Service Centre in New Delhi will continue to assist applicants alongside the online system. The centre functions Monday to Friday between 9 am and 3 pm and is located at the Shivaji Stadium Metro Station in Connaught Place. Applicants can also contact the centre by phone if needed. The information was shared by the envoy on his post on X, too.
According to an important notice issued by the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre in New Delhi, applicants must now visit the official website of the centre to create or sign in to their accounts. After logging in, applicants are required to fill out the visa application form online and upload all necessary supporting documents through the portal.
As per the official notice, applicants must first create an account on the visa centre’s website, fill out the application form online, and upload all supporting documents. Before submitting their passport at the centre, they must ensure that their application status shows “online review completed” and that they have received the confirmation email.
The introduction of the online visa application system is seen as a step toward enhancing people-to-people exchanges and facilitating travel between India and China.
Recently, India also confirmed that the visa regime for Chinese nationals is now fully restored. Tourist visas, which were suspended after the 2020 border tensions, resumed globally in November 2025. Business visas had already restarted earlier.
As per the report, the resumption of visas is part of a series of "people-centric" confidence-building measures agreed upon by both sides in 2025, which also included the resumption of direct commercial flights in October 2025 and the revival of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra pilgrimage.
The move is expected to encourage tourism, business travel, and cultural exchange between the two countries.
