Chinese vessel with Uranium ordered to leave Hambantota port

A Chinese vessel carrying Uranium Hexafluoride which entered the Hambantota Port without declaring the cargo has been turned away,  a spokesman for the Port said. The vessel known as M.V. BBC Naples sailing under the flag ‘Antigua & Barbados had entered the Mahinda Rajapaksa port, in Hambantota on Tuesday night.

 

The ship was  en route from Rotterdam to China and had reportedly run into a technical problem. The  Chinse company - Hambantota International Port Group Pvt Ltd which has leased the port confirmed that the  Sri Lankan agent had failed to declare that it was carrying dangerous cargo on board.

 

Navy Investigations revealed that the ship was carrying cargo of Uranium Hexafluoride, the company said in a statement. The Director-General of the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Regulatory Council Anil Ranjith confirmed that a directive was issued to the Chinese vessel to leave the harbour.