Cyclone Yaas Makes It Harder To Fight Huge Fire On Ship With Chemicals

The Singapore-registered vessel, within sight of the shore, is carrying 25 tonnes of nitric acid as well as other unspecified chemicals and cosmetics, the navy said.

Sri Lankan authorities battled Wednesday to put out a fire raging for a week on a stricken container ship loaded with chemicals to avoid a potential marine environmental disaster. The Singapore-registered vessel, within sight of the shore, is carrying 25 tonnes of nitric acid as well as other unspecified chemicals and cosmetics, the navy said. Eight of its nearly 1,500 containers fell overboard on Tuesday, one of which washed ashore at the Negombo tourist beach 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of Colombo. Strong winds associated with a cyclone hitting eastern India hampered efforts to put out the blaze as a huge cloud of black smoke rose from the MV X-Press Pearl.