Sunken Cargo Ships in Sri Lanka

Off the west coast of Sri Lanka, a cargo ship with chemicals had sunk on Wednesday after two weeks ablaze. This incident has worsened the fear of further environmental disasters. The event had occurred by the Pamunugama beach, which is directly opposite of where the Singapore-flagged X-Press Pearl has been anchored since a fire erupted onboard May 20. After this incident, millions of small bits of plastic washed onto the shore of Sri Lanka, resulting in one of the worst marine disasters to have occurred. Asha de Vos, a marine biologist, claims that the beach on Wednesday hit her like a brick wall: “I have dedicated my life to protecting and taking care of the ocean around Sri Lanka. We work so hard to look after and protect this. It was heartbreaking to see it this way,” she said. Afterward, soldiers began clearing the pellets at the beach, stating that they are taking as many as 3,000 bags a day.

Because the cargo ship contained chemicals, 300 tons of heavy fuel oil flowed into Sri Lanka’s rich fishing waters after being ignited. The ship was also transporting 1,486 containers, along with 25 tons of nitric acid and other chemicals. With the ship ablaze, the atmosphere of the coast became toxic. The government has ordered residents to stay away from the coastal side. Furthermore, the government has banned fishing 50 miles off the coast, a crucial component of the Sri Lankan economic industry.

The Marine Environment Protection Authority claimed six cleanups were being conducted at 14 locations. Additionally, 3 billion plastic pellets are most likely to migrate into other parts of the ocean. These plastic pellets will make it to Indonesia and the Maldives in the next 40 to 50 days. Pattiaratchi, a professor of coastal oceanography at the University of Western Australia, states that the pellets are most likely going to stay in the environment for generations. These pellets are detrimental to marine wildlife because of their tendency to get caught in the gills of fish. Reports of the massive death of marine animals were shown in television shows in Sri Lanka, conveying to its citizens the vast harm of the pellets. Donating to the Red Cross would be beneficial to Sri Lanka’s crisis, as they struggle to keep the situation under control.