Fears of environmental disaster as stricken ship carrying chemicals sinks off Sri Lanka

The fire broke out on the vessel on May 20 when it was anchored about 11 miles northwest of Colombo and waiting to enter the port

Sri Lankan sailors tidy up debris from the stricken ship on a beach near Colombo. Picture: Eranga Jayawardena/AP

A container ship carrying chemicals sank off Sri Lanka’s capital on Thursday nearly a month after catching fire, raising concerns about a possible environmental disaster, officials have said.

The ship’s operator said the wreck of the Singapore-flagged X-Press Pearl “is now wholly sitting on the seabed at a depth of 21 metres (70 feet).”