Hundreds of turtle carcasses wash ashore in the aftermath of the Sri Lankan ship disaster

As predicted by the Sri Lankan government, Singapore ship MV X-Press Pearl burning is proving to be the country’s “worst marine disaster”.

Hundreds of dead turtles have washed ashore in Sri Lanka. The marine disaster has reportedly caused death of 176 turtles, 20 dolphins and four whales to date. 

Also read | Dead marine animals and birds wash up ashore in Sri Lanka after burning of cargo ship

This data was presented by Sri Lanka’s Deputy Solicitor General Madawa Tennakoon, during the initial court hearing of the $40 million case, filed by the country’s government against X-Press Feeders, the ship’s operating company.  

On May 20, a Singapore ship laden with chemicals erupted into fire. The ship was carrying 1,486 containers and had a 25 tonnes load of nitric acid along with other chemicals and cosmetics. After days of harrowing smoke and oil spill, the ship sank on June 2nd as salvage crew attempted to tow the vessel away from the coast.

Videos by local television stations show volunteers working hard to clear away carcasses of Dead Sea turtles and innumerable plastic pellets scattered across the shores.

Also read | With cargo ship sinking, Sri Lanka faces one of its worst environmental disasters in decades

Sri Lankan government has named fifteen people as co-accused for the caused damages, this includes the Russian captain Tyutkalo Vitaly was arrested on June 14. And released later. As of now, he has not been charged in the environmental case. 

Environmental minister Mahinda Amaraweera while talking to reporters said that sea creatures don’t die like this during the Southwestern monsoon and that most of the carcasses found have been directly impacted by the shipwreck.