Sri Lanka was facing what a senior environmental official called "the worst beach pollution in our history" as a burning container ship continued on Monday to spill plastic debris into the sea off the capital, Colombo.
The Sri Lankan navy believes the fire was caused by chemicals being transported on the Singapore-flagged ship. It was carrying 1,486 containers, including 25 tons of nitric acid and other chemicals that were loaded at the port of Hazira, India, on May 15. The fire has destroyed most of the ship's cargo.
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Debris – including several tons of plastic pellets used to make plastic bags – from the burning ship has washed ashore and is causing severe pollution on beaches. The government has banned fishing along about 80 kilometers (50 miles) of the coast.
Authorities have also warned residents not to touch the debris because it could be contaminated with harmful chemicals. The government's Marine Environment Protection Authority says chemicals have mixed with the seawater and could cause severe damage to marine species and coral reefs.
