X-Press Feeders, operators of the container ship X-Press Pearl, has signed a contract with Shanghai Salvage Company (SCC)for the removal of the wreck, which is lying off the west coast of Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, Resolve Marine has commenced the recovery of the containers and debris that were lost overboard during the vessel fire and subsequent sinking. The debris has been identified through side-scan sonar operations, undertaken during July and August.

Sri Lankan authorities have submitted their second compensation claim, which is being reviewed by the vessel owner’s P&I Club.

“We continue to work with the Sri Lankan authorities towards the repatriation of the eight remaining crew members who are currently housed at a hotel in Colombo. We are eager to get them home to be reunited with their families,” X-Press Feeders stated in an update on the casualty.

The 2,700 teu X-Press Pearl caught fire in May. The burnt-out ship eventually sank in shallow waters, with tons of cargo spilling on to Sri Lanka’s shoreline.