COLOMBO — Sri Lankan authorities said Thursday they are preparing for
the worst-case scenario of a possible oil slick from the burnt-out cargo ship
sinking off Colombo's main harbor.
اضافة اعلان
The Marine Environment Protection Authority readied oil dispersants, booms,
and skimmers in case of a leak from the MV X-Press Pearl, which has nearly 350
tonnes of oil in its fuel tanks.
The vessel, which burned for 13 days within sight of the island's west
coast, has already caused the country's worst maritime environmental disaster,
littering the beaches with huge volumes of plastic pollution.
But now that it is sinking, officials fear an even greater ecological crisis
if the ship's oil leaks into the Indian Ocean.
"There is no oil leak from the ship yet, but arrangements are in place
to deal with a possible spill which is the worst-case scenario," said navy
spokesperson Indika de Silva.
An Indian coast guard vessel already in the area has equipment to deal with
an oil slick before it could reach the beaches, according to the Sri Lankan
navy, which has requested additional assistance.
The Singaporean operators of the MV X-Press Pearl said the vessel was
continuing to slowly sink after efforts to tow it farther from the coast on
Wednesday failed.
"X-Press Feeders ... can confirm that the ship's aft portion is sitting
on the seabed at a depth of about 21m, and the forward section is settling down
slowly," the company said in a statement Thursday.
Sri Lanka's navy said the bow of the vessel was still above the waterline as
of Thursday morning.
"Even if the bow also hits the sea bed, still there will be a section
of the upper deck and bridge sticking out of the water," navy spokesperson
Indika de Silva told AFP.
He said there was no visible sign of bunker oil leaking from the ship.
But some oil was spotted near the beaches of Negombo, about 40km from
Colombo, although it was not clear if it was from the stricken ship.
Environmental
impact
The inundation of microplastic granules from the ship's containers has
already forced a fishing ban and prompted concern for the wildlife and
environment.
Officials believe the blaze destroyed most of the nearly 1,500 containers
onboard.
A cargo manifest showed that in addition to 81 containers classified as
"dangerous cargo", it was also carrying a large quantity of lubricant
oil.
Authorities believe that the fire on the ship was caused by a nitric acid
leak which the crew apparently knew about from May 11, nine days before the
blaze started.
The fire was eventually extinguished with the help of India's coastguard,
Sri Lanka's navy and the Dutch salvage firm SMIT.
Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa asked Australia on Monday to help
evaluate the ecological damage to the island, one of the most bio-diverse
countries in South Asia.
Sri Lanka has also launched a criminal investigation.
Police said three officers from the ship, two Russians and an Indian, had
been questioned and their passports impounded.
The ship was heading to Colombo from Gujarat in India when the blaze
started.
The 25-strong crew was evacuated last week. One was admitted to the hospital
with minor injuries.
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