X-Press Feeders hits out at long-term detention of master in Sri Lanka

20 November 2024 02:44 pm Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 5 Bookmark

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Splash - X-Press Feeders has hit out at the “bureaucratic and legal hurdles” that have caused severe delays in the case of the X-Press Pearl, a boxship that caught fire in 2021 causing one of Sri Lanka’s worst-ever environmental disasters. The master of the ship has not been able to leave the Asian island for the past 1,280 days.

Splash reported late last month the new Sri Lankan government will reopen investigations into the X-Press Pearl disaster and seek multi-billion dollar payouts from insurers.

X-Press Feeders pointed out in a statement sent to Splash today that the company has already paid out nearly $160m, and the company is keen to get the case concluded and see one of its staff released.

“If the new Sri Lankan government is going to review these proceedings, then we appeal to them to also consider the ongoing legal action against the former captain of the X-Press Pearl, Vitaly Tyutkalo,” X-Press Feeders stated, adding: “Vitaly remains trapped in Sri Lanka under a court travel ban, unable to return home after more than three and a half years because of ongoing lengthy delays in the tabling of evidence in the government’s case against him. He has missed a daughter’s wedding and his other daughter’s graduation and, like many others, continues to suffer because of unreasonable delays.”

The then three-month-old, 2,700 teu X-Press Pearl containership suffered a fire in May 2021, spilling tonnes of hazardous substances such as nitric acid and microplastic granules into the Indian Ocean with much debris washing up along the island’s western coastline.

Even though it has been three and a half years since the disaster, the cleanup is still going on. The X-Press Pearl was carrying nearly 1,680 metric tonnes of plastic nurdles and around 200 women are still separating and collecting the nurdles washed ashore by hand. Each woman earns around $10 a day separating the nurdles.

Plastic nurdles are microplastic beads around 5 mm in size which are melted down to produce plastic items. In the wake of this disaster, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has agreed on draft recommendations for transporting plastic pellets on ships.

Comments - 5

VERY SAD DISASTER FOR OUR MARINE LIFE AND BIRD LIFE IF THEY HAVE PICKED IT UP AND SWOLLOWED THEM. Wednesday, 20 November 2024 04:00 PM

WOULD BE INTERESTING TO INVESTIGATE THE $160 MILLION THEY CLAIM HAS ALREADY BEEN GIVEN AGAINST THIS DISASTER!!. WHEN HOW AND WHERE DID THE 160M GET DEPOSITED AND IF THIS SUM IS STILL THERE OR HAS BEEN DISBURSED, IF SO WHERE WAS IT DISBURSED AND IS IT STILL WHERE IT WAS DISBURSED TO AND OR HOW IT WAS SPENT AND OR REDISBURSED.

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Obvious insurance scam Wednesday, 20 November 2024 05:15 PM

Trying to fleece anyone and everyone who has any thing with the country has long been the way of Lankans. Seeking multi-billion dollar pay-out seems exactly what an insurance scammer would do when $160 million already paid up. Ruputation of Sri Lanka, under SLPP, and UNP Ranil, and Gota before that was already bad. The previous government and mad officials believed in pie in the sky, hope the current government doesn't waste government workers continuing to try scam overseas insurers.

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karu Wednesday, 20 November 2024 07:46 PM

Dont let they go away.. must dig down and find whos behind this and claimed unforgettable compensation. Also should rip off their masks. there were multiple strange sabotage activities occurred near sri lanka and seychelles islands post covid time. Both places are well known tourist destinations and consist with a sensitive marine habitants.

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Finding the corruption money of former Ministers Thursday, 21 November 2024 03:53 AM

There is a lot of corruption related to political parties formerly in government. There is only so much investigators, and spending time on this seems to allow for next to know improvement to the country. All the while former MPs like Lohan Rattwatte try every trick imaginable to get out of jail/remand they should be kept in.

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Chris Bentinck Thursday, 21 November 2024 09:03 AM

The money spent on clearing plastic pellets is totally wasted. The ladies arrive with no proper equipment (I have loaned garden tools to them) They sieve small areas of sand removing a couple of kg of pellets in a whole day but leave all the remaining sieved plastic such as bottles tops ,ice cream spoons, toothbrushes small broken plastic pieces etc in large piles on the beach and walk away. Ecological Madness! Tons of plastic raked into piles to be washed by the next tide. When asked why they leave the piles of plastic behind they reply they are not paid to remove the other plastic. The 000s of USD spent would be much better spent if all plastic collected was removed. SriLanka beaches are an eyesore. If you want increased tourism and prosperity take proper control of these clean up programs.

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