COLOMBO, 31 May, 2021, (TON): Sri Lanka launched a criminal probe on Sunday into a massive container ship fire that has swamped the island nation's coast with plastic pollution, causing worst marine disaster ever.

Tonnes of microplastic granules have inundated the South Asian country's famed beaches, forcing a fishing ban and prompting fears of ecological damage.

Sri Lanka's Marine Environment Protection Authority lodged a complaint after which the 25-member crew will be questioned on Monday, who have already been evacuated from the ship, said police.

Earlier, authorities said they believed the fire was caused by a nitric acid leak that the crew had been aware of since May 11.

“The captain and the crew were in quarantine, but health authorities have told us that we can question them from tomorrow,” Ajith Rohana, a police spokesperson, told news agency.

“We have already sent samples of polluted seawater and burnt debris from the vessel for a forensic report.”

According to the authorities and the operators of the container ship the fire has continued to burn, though it has been brought under control.

The ship’s owners, X-Press Feeders, said the vessel’s hull remained intact and there was no damage to its fuel tanks.

Much of the ship’s cargo, including 25 tonnes of nitric acid, sodium hydroxide, lubricants and other chemicals, appears to have been destroyed in the fire, according to officials.

According to the Sri Lanka’s Marine Protection Authority (MEPA) the plastic waste from the burning ship had probably caused “the worst beach pollution in our history”, and warned it could cause years of ecological damage.

Fishermen have also been banned from the 80-kilometre (50-mile) stretch of coast where the pellets have washed up.

MV X-Press Pearl is a Singaporean-registered container ship which has been smoldering on the horizon for 11 days after a blaze broke out as it was heading to Colombo from Gujarat, India.

This container ship is operated by X-Press Feeders which is regarded as the largest feeder operator in the world.