A cargo ship that was on fire for weeks off the coast of Sri Lanka is now sinking, sparking fears of major ecological disaster.

It's one of the worst marine accidents to hit the country.

The Singapore-registered X-Press Pearl is carrying 25 tons of nitric acid, among other substances.

It was at anchor when the fire erupted on May 20.

Authorities have been battling the blaze, with flaming containers seen falling from the ship.

The fire is now out, but the salvage company handling the incident says the ship is sinking.

Tons of plastic have already swamped the island's coastline and fishing grounds.

The government has deployed soldiers to help cleanup efforts.

It's also banned fishing along about 50 miles of the coast.

That affects about 5,600 fishing boats, and experts say it's shaping up to be one of Sri Lanka's worst environmental crises in decades.