A container ship that caught fire while carrying Poisonous chemicals from the Shore of Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo has caused”significant Harm” to the planet by releasing the chemicals, a United Nations representative said
The Singapore-flagged X-Press Pearl finally sank on Thursday a month after it caught fire, the Associated Press reported. Due to the substance it was carryingout, many have raised concerns regarding an ecological disaster.
“An ecological emergency of this nature causes significant damage to the entire world by the discharge of toxic substances to the ecosystem,” she explained. “This, then, threatens lives and livelihoods of the population in the coastal regions.”
The U.N. stated it had been coordinating global efforts and helping Sri Lanka in analyzing the damage, recovery attempts and preventing such disasters in the future.
A U.N. group of oil spill and chemical specialists — provided by the European Union– was sent to Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka has already submitted an interim claim of $40 million to X-Press Feeders to cover part of the cost of battling the fire, which broke out on May 20 when the vessel was anchored about 9.5 nautical miles (18 km ) northwest of Colombo and waiting to go into the port.
The Sri Lankan navy believes the blaze was brought on by its own chemical freight, which comprised 25 tons of nitric oxide and other compounds, most of which were ruined in the fire. But debris, including burnt fiberglass and heaps of plastic pellets, have polluted nearby beaches.
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A ship manifest seen from the Associated Press said the ship carrying only under 1,500 containers, using 81 of those described as”harmful” goods. The main concern has been around 300 tons of bunker oil used as fuel for the boat. But officials were saying it could have burned off in the fire.
The two Sri Lankan authorities and the ship’s operator, X-Press Feeders, have said so far there is no sign of a petroleum spill.