By Aanya Wipulasena and Mujib Mashal

June 1, 2021 - Updated 12:53 p.m. ET

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — The authorities in Sri Lanka have opened a criminal investigation into the crew of a cargo ship laden with toxic chemicals that has been burning off the island nation’s coast for 12 days, spilling debris into the ocean and polluting the country’s beaches.

Several tons of plastic pellets that were being transported on the ship have washed ashore, and Sri Lanka’s Marine Protection Authority described the spill as “probably the worst beach pollution in our history.” Security personnel have been employed to scour the country’s beaches for the pellets used in the production of plastic bags and fishing has been discouraged for miles along the coast.

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