Sri Lanka: 176 turtles, 20 dolphins, 4 whales dead after ship fire

Colombo - Singapore-flagged container ship caught fire in May causing extensive environmental disaster.

The Sri Lankan government has confirmed that 176 turtles, four whales, and 20 dolphins had died and washed ashore on the country's beaches up to July 7 as a result of the burning of the X-Press Pearl container ship in May.

Sri Lanka's Ports and Shipping Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena told Parliament that the Government Analyst and Veterinary Research Institute were conducting investigations to ascertain the cause of the marine animals' death, reports Xinhua news agency.

Wildlife department officials said the dead marine animals had washed ashore on beaches from the southern to western coast of the country in recent weeks.