Aug 25, Colombo: The Coast Conservation Department of Sri Lanka has asserted that the oil slick caused by the fuel leaking from a sunken cargo ship off the western coast is manageable and would not have any effect on the marine life or fishermen.

The Marine Environment Protection Authority said the oil leakage from the ship ceased around 4:00 pm Friday.

General Manager of the Authority Rear Admiral S.R. Samaratunge said that the oil leak is not yet considered as a disaster although patches of oil were visible in the coastal area from Dehiwala to Kollupitiya.

Maximum efforts are currently being taken to remove the oil patches, Rear Admiral Samaratunge said.

He said that a Sri Lankan Navy vessel is making observations round the clock on the oil leak and the effects of the slick may vanish in the next 2 to 3 days.

The public are advised to inform coastal area protection authorities in case of spotting oil patches.

The ship was believed to have contained about 70 tons of residual fuel after authorities have removed around 370 tons of fuel earlier.

The Cypress flagged 15,600-ton Bulk Carrier MV Thermopylae Sierra, which has been anchored since 2009 in the sea about 20 kilometers off Panadura coast due to a pending court case, sank completely Thursday after efforts to move the ship before the monsoon rains failed.