
The Documentary Podcast
Sri Lanka: The X-Press Pearl disaster
July 1, 2025
27 minutes
Available for over a year
In 2021, a huge container ship, the X-Press Pearl caught fire and sank off the coast of Sri Lanka, releasing hazardous materials, toxic chemicals and more than 1000 tonnes of microplastic pellets into the sea. The UN called it an environmental catastrophe. Today, Sri Lanka is still counting the cost. Leana Hosea visits Sri Lanka to investigate the legacy of the disaster, and find out why, four years on, there’s still a battle for compensation.
This episode of The Documentary, comes to you from Assignment, investigations and journeys into the heart of global events.