An oil spill occurred at the Hambantota Port at approximately 6 pm on Sunday, 11th of July 2021. The incident occurred whilst a bunkering barge was refueling a commercial vessel that had called at the port. Immediate action was initiated by the port as per the Standard Operational Policy and Emergency Response Plan to contain and clean the pollutant with booms laid to curb the spread. “We immediately informed the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) and the Harbour Master as per our emergency response plan, and we hope to complete the ongoing cleaning operations within the next few days,” says Ravi Jayawickreme, CEO of Hambantota International Port Service.
