A sunken ship’s trail of destruction: turtle carcasses, dead dolphins-By Bharatha Mallawarachi A month after it caught fire, the MV X-Press Pearl is suspected of unleashing an environmental disaster Source:Sydney Morning Herald The fire started on the ship on May 20 and dead marine species started washing ashore days later. Flaming containers filled with chemicals tumbled into the sea from the ship’s deck as emergency crews sought to contain the blaze over the ensuing two weeks. A ship manifest seen by The Associated Press said 81 of the ship’s nearly 1500 containers held “dangerous” goods. Sri Lankan navy soldiers walk on the beach looking for plastic debris washed ashore from fire damaged container ship MV X-Press Pearl at Kapungoda, on the outskirts of Colombo. The Sri Lankan navy believes the blaze was caused by its chemical cargo, most of which was destroyed in the fire. But debris including burnt fibreglass and tonnes of plastic pellets have severely polluted the surrounding waters and a long stretch of the island nation’s famed…
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