An oil spill incident was reported at the Hambantota International Port yesterday evening around 6 PM.

Officials of the port announced via a media statement a short while ago that the spillage took place when a bunkering barge was refueling a commercial vessel that had called at the port.

Immediate action was initiated by the port as per the Standard Operational Policy and Emergency Response Plan to contain and clean the pollutant with booms laid to curb the spread, the authorities of the port said.

“We immediately informed the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) and the Harbour Master as per our emergency response plan, and we hope to complete the ongoing cleaning operations within the next few days,” Hambantota International Port Service CEO Ravi Jayawickreme said, commenting on the incident.

Sri Lanka is yet to assess fully the damage caused by the sinking of the container vessel X-Press Pearl that has placed the country’s marine ecosystem at significant risk. According to latest reports, the leak of toxic chemicals into the ocean from the sinking ship has resulted in the death of 76 sea turtles, 20 dolphins, and 04 whales.