Environmental and marine biologist Ranil Nanayakkara says that toxic chemical layers were found around the containers of the MV Express Pearl, the container ship that was wrecked off the coast of Sri Lanka. However, it was not clear whether they were oil layers but could be chemicals, he says.
The ship was wrecked, and a part of the ship is visible on the surface. To date, many dead sea creatures have been washed ashore along the coast from the East, along the western coast up to Jaffna. In addition, carcasses of more than 50 turtles and other sea creatures, including dolphins and whales, have been noticed in these coastal belts.
Marine biologist Ranil Nanayakkara says that this is the ‘worst marine environmental disaster in Sri Lanka’.
“According to information and visuals, I can see a chemical leak. When I analyze, the water looks like a chemical contaminant because it resembles greenish-yellow. Previously we only discovered that such a colour usually appears when there is chemical contamination, which is ‘nitric acid’, and that ‘nitric acid’ leakage may cause such discolouration in the water. Another possibility is that when different chemicals get mixed, there may be an imbalance in the algae. However, we cannot be 100% sure that there is an oil leak. Available images do not show an oil leak.<\/p>\n