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An employee of the Disaster Management Centre checks the sea water for contamination on the shores of Panadura, just outside the capital of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Aug. 24, 2012. Sri Lanka on Friday dismissed any threat by spilling oil from a sunken ship off country's western coastal belt. (Xinhua/Sameera)
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COLOMBO, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka on Friday dismissed any threat by spilling oil from a sunken ship off country's western coastal belt.
The Disaster Management Center (DMC) said the leaked oil is still in the deep sea off the island and there is no threat so far.
DMC's Deputy Director Sarath Kumara told Xinhua that the oil leak is currently in the deep sea 4 to 10 nautical miles off Sri Lanka capital Colombo. "At present there is no threat that the oil would reach Sri Lankan shore," Kumara said.
The Sri Lankan Marine Environment Protection Authority said that most of the oil from the ship had been removed before the vessel sank so they did not expect a major environmental impact.
The Cyprus vessel flagged sank on Thursday at sea close to the shores of Panadura, just outside the capital, even as the court case over the vessel continued in Sri Lanka.
The 155 meter long and 127 meter wide vessel was manufactured in 1985 was detained in Sri Lanka on a court order after a dispute arose involving the cargo and its crew.
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