COLOMBO (News 1st): The debris and freight containers that fell into sea from the distressed MV X-PRESS PEARL vessel have washed ashore at the Negombo beach, the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) said on Wednesday (May 26). The contamination is very high and the entire area is affected,” Dharshani Lahandapura, the Chairperson of the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) told News 1st. “So we CANNOT stop an oil spill within closer proximity to the vessel because of the current weather pattern and the prevailing sea conditions. Thereby, the only option available to address an oil spill is to conduct a beach clean-up afterward. We are closely monitoring the situation to minimize the potential oil spill,” Dharshani Lahandapura, the Chairperson of the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) pointed out.

Source: The Nation May 26, 2021 10:07 UTC