Dezastrul ecologic din Sri Lanka este cel mai grav din istorie, susțin experții din domeniul mediului, după ce o navă de marfă care transporta substanțe chimice a luat foc în largul coastei Sri Lanka și s-a scufundat în luna iunie. Până acum, aproape 200 de țestoaze și zeci de delfini au murit din cauza naufragiului, scrie digi24.ro.
Substanțele toxice eliberate de pe navă au ucis 176 de broaște țestoase, 20 de delfini și patru balene, a declarat procurorul general adjunct, Madawa Tennakoon, la o primă ședință de judecată miercuri, în care este prezent căpitanul rus al navei MV X-Press Pearl, înregistrat în Singapore. Acesta nu a fost încă pus sub acuzare, într-un caz despre care experții de mediu spun că este cel mai grav dezastru ecologic din Sri Lanka.
Imagini video publicate de un post de televiziune local arată un număr impresionat de broaște țestoase moarte din cauza dezastrului.
Nava înregistrată în Singapore a ars două săptămâni, înainte să înceapă să se scufunde în apropierea portului Colombo. O parte din carena navei s-a așezat pe fundul mării. Nava X-press Pearl transporta acid azotic, dar și alte substanțe chimice și produse cosmetice, înainte să ia foc.
Oficialii din Sri Lanka sunt de părere că focul a fost provocat de o scurgere de acid azotic despre care echipajul știa deja de 10 zile. Operatorul din Singapore a confirmat că echipajul știa de scurgere, însă susține că acestuia nu i-a fost permis accesul în porturi din India și Qatar.
Dezastru ecologic în Sri Lanka. Foto: Profimedia Images
This picture taken June 15, 2021, shows volunteers checking the carcass of a blue whale that washed ashore at the island of Kayts, in the northern Jaffna region, as dozens of turtles and dolphins were killed by intense heat and chemical poisoning from a container ship that burned for almost two weeks off Sri Lanka.,Image: 616188564, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: ProfimediaDead turtles wash ashore at the Mount Lavinia and Ratmalana beaches on Sri Lanka coast off a sunk chemical cargo ship on June 20, 2021. Over 50 dead turtles and dolphins reportedly washed up on Sri Lanka’s beaches since a cargo ship carrying hazardous chemicals and plastics caught fire and sank. Experts say there is a clear link to the ship, which the UN says has caused significant damage to the planet.,Image: 618044720, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: ProfimediaSri Lanka navy personnel observe debris of the container ship X-Press Pearl, which had caught fire off Colombo harbour on 20 May, that are washed ashore at Kerawalapitiya, about 10 kms north of Colombo. Debris of the container ship X-Press Pearl, Colombo, Sri Lanka – 20 Jun 2021,Image: 616858334, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimediaepa09244359 A dead bloated fish, presumably belonging to the Tetraodontidae family, lies washed ashore amid granules of plastic raw materials from the burnt ship MV X-Press Pearl on the beach of Negombo, north-west of Colombo, Sri Lanka, 02 June 2021 (issued 03 June 2021). The fire on the Singaporean flagged container cargo vessel MV X-Press Pearl was doused and the salvage company began towing it towards deeper seas off the coast of Colombo on 02 June. However, the Sri Lanka Navy stated that the towing operation was halted as the stern of the ship was striking the seabed. Sri Lankan marine and coastal protection authorities warned about an environmental crisis as tonnes of plastic waste and pellets from the ship keep washing ashore. The island’s Fisheries Ministry urged fishermen not to venture out to seas in the 80 km stretch along the western coast. Authorities such as the Marine Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA) are concerned over possible threats to the fish-breeding shallow waters of lagoons dotting the area, which is well known for its crabs and jumbo prawns as well as for its tourist beaches. MEPA is assessing the possible impacts on the mangroves, lagoons and marine wildlife in the region, while a possible oil leak would add to the devastation. EPA/CHAMILA KARUNARATHNEThis handout photograph taken and released by Sri Lanka Air Force on June 2, 2021 shows smoke billowing from the Singapore-registered container ship MV X-Press Pearl which carrys hundreds of containers of chemicals and plastics, as its towed away from the coast of Colombo, following Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s order to move the ship to deeper water to prevent a bigger enviromental disaster.,Image: 613902697, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT „AFP PHOTO /Sri Lanka Air Force ” – NO MARKETING – NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS, Model Release: no, Credit line: ProfimediaFoto: Știri.md.