(PICTURES) Beach clean-up begins as blazing ship debris continues to wash ashore

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka Navy on Thursday (27) commenced a beach clean-up operation to remove the debris from the blazing MV X-Press Pearl container ship which continues to wash up on Sri Lanka's west coast.

Sri Lankan authorities have issued a strong warning to the general public to refrain from coming into contact with any debris that washes up on Sri Lanka’s western coast following a massive inferno aboard the container ship named the MV X-PRESS PEARL.

Reports on Wednesday (26) morning noted that people in many areas had rushed to the coastal belt to pick up debris from the blazing ship.

The Sri Lanka Navy also deployed personnel along the western coast to prevent the people from rushing to the beach to collect debris that washed ashore.