The Sri Lankan government has said that 176 turtles, four whales, and 20 dolphins had died and washed ashore on the country’s beaches up to July 7 due to 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 conducted investigations to ascertain the cause of the marine animals’ death, reports Xinhua news agency.
Sri Lankan wildlife department officials said the dead marine animals had washed ashore on beaches from the south to the country’s western coast in recent weeks.
