X-Press Feeders, the operator of the sinking container ship X-Press Pearl, said there are “no signs of debris and no reports of oil pollution as of 07:00 Sri Lanka local time,” despite some international media that have already reported sea pollution.
“X-Press Feeders can confirm that the situation on scene remains the same as late yesterday,” stated the Singaporean company earlier today (3 June).
Sri Lanka Ports Authority has also confirmed that “no sign of oil spill from the vessel detected so far.”
The ship’s aft portion is sitting on the seabed at a depth of about 21 meters, and the forward section continues to settle down slowly, according to a statement.
At the same time, “salvors remain on scene to deal with any possible debris supported by the Sri Lankan Navy and the Indian Coast Guard, who have oil spill response capabilities on standby,” added X-Press Feeders.
Source: SLPA
In a previous update on 2 June, the company said the focus is to minimise any further damage to the environment.
Oil Spill Response Limited has been appointed to respond to any possible spill and is liaising with International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF), which will provide technical expertise. Both OSRL and ITOPF have people on the ground in Colombo coordinating with the Sri Lankan Navy on an established plan to deal with any possible spill of oil and other pollutants, according to an announcement.
X-Press Feeders noted that early estimates are that most of the cargo has been incinerated during the fire, while ashore, contractors continue working with local authorities on shoreline clean up efforts to safely dispose of any debris that is washed up.
