Fire-wrecked freight ship sinks off Sri Lanka triggering worries of ecological catastrophe

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Fire-ravaged cargo ship sinks off Sri Lanka sparking fears of environmental disaster

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COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — A container ship bring chemicals sank off Sri Lanka’s capital on Thursday almost a month after igniting, raising issues about a possible ecological catastrophe, authorities stated.

The ship’s operator stated the wreck of the Singapore-flagged X-Press Pearl “is now wholly sitting on the seabed at a depth of 70 feet.”

A salvage team was at the website to handle any particles and report any spill, X-Press Feeders stated.

The head of Sri Lanka’s Marine Environment Protection Authority, Darshini Lahandapura, likewise validated that the ship had actually sunk. She stated it was presently risky to get rid of the wreck due to the fact that of rough monsoon seas.

“The sea is very violent. In the rough season, we can’t do anything,” she stated.

The monsoon season began last month and normally ends in September.

“Until such time, the owner of the vessel has appointed a caretaker company,” Lahandapura stated. “The entire area will be looked after by the caretaker company until the owner appoints a wreck removal company.”

The fire broke out on the vessel on May 20 when it was anchored about 9.5 nautical miles northwest of Colombo and waiting to get in the port.

The Sri Lankan navy thinks the blaze was brought on by its chemical freight, that included 25 lots of nitric acid and other chemicals, the majority of which were damaged in the fire.

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But particles consisting of burned fiberglass and lots of plastic pellets have currently contaminated close-by beaches. There are issues that a spill of staying chemicals and oil from the ship might ravage marine life.

Authorities snuffed out the fire recently, however the ship then started sinking and tries to tow it into much deeper waters stopped working when its stern rested on the seabed. The ship had actually stayed partially immersed up until Thursday.

The federal government has actually asked the United Nations and some other nations for aid in examining the damage to the marine environment and seaside locations.

The nation has actually sent an interim claim of $40 million to X-Press Feeders to cover part of the expense of combating the fire.