THE U.N. representative in Sri Lanka said the sinking of a container ship that caught fire while transporting chemicals off the capital Colombo has caused “a significant damage to the planet” by releasing hazardous substances into the ecosystem.

The Singapore-flagged X-Press Pearl sank off Thursday, a month after catching fire, raising concerns about a possible environmental disaster.

The U.N. said it was coordinating international efforts and helping Sri Lanka in assessing the damage, recovery efforts and preventing such disasters in the future.

“An environmental emergency of this nature causes significant damage to the planet by the release of hazardous substances into the ecosystem,” U.N. Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka Hanaa Singer-Hamdy said in a statement late Saturday. “This in turn threatens lives and livelihoods of the population in the coastal areas.”

A U.N. team of oil spill and chemical experts has been sent to Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka has already submitted an interim claim of US$40 million to X-Press Feeders to cover part of the cost of fighting the fire, which broke out May 20 when the vessel was anchored about 18 kilometers northwest of Colombo.(SD-Agencies)