Sri Lanka faces an unprecedented pollution crisis as waves of plastic waste from a burning container ship hit the coast and threaten to devastate the local environment, a top environment official warns.
Key points:
Sri Lanka's beaches have been inundated with tiny polyethylene pellets
Authorities say the plastic debris is 60 centimetres deep in places
The disaster threatens to make thousands of Sri Lankans destitute by devastating the fishing and tourism sectors
The tiny polyethylene pellets threaten beaches popular with tourists as well as shallow waters used by fish to breed.
Fishing has been banned along an 80-kilometre stretch of coast near the ship that has been burning for 10 days despite an international firefighting operation.
"There is smoke and intermittent flames seen from the ship," navy spokesman Captain Indika de Silva said.
Orange-coloured plastic booms were set up in case oil leaks from the crippled ship reached Negombo Lagoon, which is famed for its crabs and jumbo prawns.
Thousands of small boats were beached at Negombo on Saturday because of the fishing ban.
