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FEARS of a major environmental disaster are growing after a cargo ship loaded with chemicals started sinking off the coast of Sri Lanka today.
Hundreds of tons of oil could leak from the Singapore-registered X-Press Pearl, which has been on fire for almost two weeks.
Operations to put out the blaze have been hampered by the weather, with monsoon winds and rough seas causing difficulties for the Sri Lankan and Indian navies.
“The ship is sinking. Tugs are trying to tow the ship to deep sea before it sinks to minimise the marine pollution but the rear area of the ship has drifted,” Sri Lanka Navy spokesman Captain Indika Silva said.
Public anger has grown at the decision to allow the ship to enter Sri Lankan waters after it had been turned away by India and Qatar because of a leak.
Police questioned the ship’s captain and chief engineer for 14 hours on Tuesday, with a court order preventing them and another engineer from leaving the country.
