Damage to Sri Lanka's marine environment from a sinking chemical ship is worse than feared, officials said, as more dead turtles, dolphins and whales washed up on the island's beaches. 130 marine animals have been found dead on the Indian Ocean's beaches since the MV X-Press caught fire last month before partially sinking off the coast after two weeks ablaze.
Sri Lanka's government believes they were killed by the hundreds of tonnes of chemicals and plastics leaking from the ship.
"At least six turtle carcasses washed up along the western coast on Thursday alone," a wildlife official said. He said they had also received the first report of a shoal of reef fish dying at Hikkaduwa, a southern tourist resort area known for its rich coral reefs. "So far we have collected the carcasses of 115 turtles, 15 dolphins and five whales," the official said, asking not to be named.
They include a blue whale carcass found off the northern Jaffna peninsula, about 400 kilometres north of Colombo, last week.
Officials are awaiting the results of forensic reports, he said. - AFP
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