Govt. to launch probe over X Press Pearl disaster

Colombo, October 28 (Daily Mirror) - The government will study the X Press Pearl disaster which occurred in 2021 and will launch an investigation over it in the near future, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told Daily Mirror last evening.

The government is going to take steps in this regard in a context where the previous authorities have not yet submitted claims for the civil liability cost of the disaster.

Sri Lanka is now poised to receive US $ 810,696.57 as cost involved in beach cleaning and debris removal after the X-Press Pearl disaster but the authorities concerned are yet to submit claim for civil liability cost which is the biggest amount.

The ship owner has agreed to settle this amount to cover the beach cleaning and debris removal cost for the period between July 1, 2023 and February 29 ,2024.

MV X-Press Pearl, a container ship carrying hazardous chemicals caught fire off Sri Lanka's coast on May 20, 2021.

It washed up tons of plastic pellets and other pollutants on the beaches and harmed the marine ecosystem.

The then government, through the Attorney General's Department, filed a lawsuit in Singapore.

An Australian law firm has been hired for the purpose along with six international experts to assess claims for the civil liability - the cost of environmental damage, economic loss, restoration work etc.

The Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) reported an oil slick of an approximate area of 0.51 km2 with a length of 4.3 km around the wreck.

While the full extent of the damage is yet to be determined by the MEPA, the insurance company for the ship has already compensated the Sri Lankan government to the tune of USD 7.85 million, according to a report published by the Institute of Policy Studies.

The MEPA is still in the dark about steps being taken by the Attorney General's Department regarding litigation in Singapore.