Enlarge image
Negombo: Soldiers are trying to clean up the beach
Photo: ISHARA S. KODIKARA / AFP
After the fire on a container ship, tons of tiny plastic particles and charred debris washed up on the Sri Lankan coast.
Several tons of plastic granulate mixed with oil and other remains cover Negombo Beach around 40 kilometers north of the capital Colombo.
Soldiers try to clean the beach with shovels and excavators.
The beach, popular with tourists and known for fishing, had to be temporarily closed.
Black plumes of smoke from the burning container ship "X-Press Pearl" anchored in front of the port of Colombo could be seen on the horizon.
The fire broke out on May 20 as the ship waited to enter the port of Colombo.
The reason was probably a leaky nitric acid container.
The 25 crew members could be brought to safety.
Ship threatens to break apart
The washed-up plastic particles are polyethylene pellets from at least eight containers that fell from the ship on Tuesday.
According to official information, the ship had loaded at least 28 containers with these small parts.
The plastic beads are used as raw material in the packaging industry.
The container ship registered in Singapore had loaded a total of almost 1,500 containers.
In addition to 25 tons of nitric acid, it also transported 278 tons of heavy fuel oil and 50 tons of marine gas oil, a special fuel for ships.
Given the cargo, a devastating oil spill is feared should the ship break up due to the fire.
koe / AFP