Fear of oil contamination after the sinking …

the boat carrying chemicals and suffered a fire nearly two weeks ago off the coast of Sri Lanka it is almost completely submerged. It started to sink less than 24 hours ago and there is now a risk of loss of Oil in the water, which could have catastrophic consequences.

“Much of the ship has sunk and only the forward part remains afloat, but it will eventually be completely underwater,” said Sri Lankan Navy spokesman Captain Indika da Silva.

El X-PRESS PEARL, carrying approximately 1,500 containers loaded with nitric acid and other chemicals, began to sink less than a day ago near the island nation’s west coast.

Da Silva explained that the main concern of the authorities at the moment is an oil spill. “We are doing everything possible to contain any spill,” he said.

Deputy Fisheries Minister Kanchana Wijesekera had argued on his social media that the vessel X-PRESS PEARL was sinking and that “it had been transported to deeper waters by a dismantling company with the support of the Navy and other parties involved “.

Wijesekera said authorities were taking action to protect the nearby Negombo Lagoon and surrounding coastal areas from the possibility of an oil spill.

The fire on the Singapore-flagged vessel began almost two weeks ago while en route to Colombo. Authorities have since attempted to extinguish the flames, although the operation was complicated by the strong winds associated with the monsoon and the recent passage through neighboring India of a cyclone.

The accident has so far resulted in a dumping of plastic waste on part of the west coast of Sri Lanka.

This is the second fire on a boat in recent months off the coast of Sri Lanka, after a similar incident last September on the tanker “New Diamond”, which caused an oil spill.