Jun 2, 2021 10:19 AM

eyepress104620 (RM)

EyePress/Newscom

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Image taken from a helicopter of the Sri Lanka Air Force shows smoke rises from a fire on board the MV X-Press Pearl cargo vessel as it sinks while being towed into deep sea off the Colombo Harbour on June 2, 2021. The Singapore-registered cargo ship carrying tonnes of chemicals is sinking off Sri Lanka�s west coast, the country�s government and navy said, in one of Sri Lanka�s worst-ever marine disasters. The fire-stricken container ship was carrying 1,486 containers, including 25 tonnes of nitric acid, along with other chemicals and cosmetics that were loaded at the port of Hazira, India, on May 15. The ship was anchored off the island�s west coast when a fire erupted on May 20, when the ship was anchored about 9.5 nautical miles (18 km) northwest of Colombo and waiting to enter the port. EYEPRESS/SRI LANKA AIR FORCE MEDIA