UK beach covered in frozen fries after cargo containers spill at sea

A beach near the town of Eastbourne in southeast England was covered with thousands of packages of frozen French fries and onions after containers fell from a cargo ship earlier this month.

Cleanup operations along the East Sussex coastline began on Tuesday, with residents likening the beach's appearance to "golden sands on a tropical island." However, it was later revealed that the scene was caused by piles of raw potatoes and onions reaching depths of up to 1.5 meters.

VOLUNTEERS MOBILIZE AGAINST PLASTIC POLLUTION

Most of the food spilled from the containers during a storm washed ashore wrapped in plastic packaging. Local residents and environmental groups launched cleanup efforts, warning that the plastic posed a serious threat to marine life, particularly a nearby colony of around 30 seals.

The environmental group Plastic Free Eastbourne warned that plastic bags could be mistaken for jellyfish by marine animals. Thanks to volunteer efforts, much of the waste was collected, with about 1.9 tons of debris—four times the normal amount—removed from the Brighton and Hove coastline alone.

WARNING FOR PET OWNERS

It was confirmed that the cargo ship Lombok Strait lost 17 refrigerated food containers during a storm on January 8. Authorities are continuing efforts, in coordination with the ship's owners, to locate and recover the missing containers.

Local councils issued warnings to beachgoers, urging them to:

• Keep dogs on leashes, as onions can be toxic to pets.

• Avoid touching or taking home any items washed ashore.

• Refrain from swimming due to possible seawater contamination.