Aug 28, Colombo: Sri Lanka's National Aquatic Research Agency (NARA) has commenced scientific tests on the reported deaths of fish in the coastal belt of Wellawatta south of Colombo.

NARA has collected samples of the dead fish. They are to be subjected to scientific tests to ascertain if the deaths are due to the oil slick from the ship that sank in the west coast of Sri Lanka.

Latest report from NARA said that the deaths of fish had no connection with the oil slick. However, the tests are being continued, a spokesman of the NARA said.

Meanwhile, the Marine Pollution Prevention Authority of Sri Lanka has summoned all the regional officers of the authority to Colombo to provide them with necessary instructions to face the situation.

Chairman of Marine Pollution Prevention Authority R. S. Ariyapperuma said that the oil leak has stopped entirely now but the monitoring continues.

The Cyprus-flagged cargo ship MV Thermopylae Sierra which had been anchored for three years about 20 kilometers off Panadura coast due to a legal dispute sank last week with about 70 tons of furnace oil in the tanks.