Chemicals & fuel from X-Press Pearl contaminated the ocean - Govt Analyst

COLOMBO (News 1st); A Government Analyst's report has revealed that Sri Lanka's ocean was contaminated with chemicals and fuel from the X-Press Pear container ship, which is now a wreck sitting in the ocean bed not far from Colombo's coast.

Deputy Solicitor General Madhawa Tennakoon informed the Colombo Additional Magistrate on Friday (30) that the Government Analyst had reached the conclusion following tests carried out after obtaining seawater samples from the site.

417 Sea Turtles, 48 Dolphins, and 08 Whales had died as a result of the X-Press Pearl container ship disaster.

The Deputy Solicitor General said the Counsel appearing for the local agent of the Shipping Company, its personnel, the Captain and Crew are making baseless and irresponsible statements with regard to the investigations carried out by the Criminal Investigations Department.

'Such statements bring great disrepute to the country and the Attorney General's Department condemns such statements,' he added.

The matter will be called up again on the 18th of August.