Environmental disaster feared as ship sinks off Sri Lanka

The sinking MV X-Press Pearl (Sri Lanka Air Force via AP)

A fire-stricken container ship carrying chemicals has started to sink off Sri Lanka’s main port, raising fears of a marine environmental disaster.

X-Press Feeders, operators of the container ship MV X-Press Pearl, said salvage experts were able to board the vessel and attach a tow line, but “efforts to move the ship to deeper waters have failed”.