15-Jun-2021

X-Press Feeders, operators of the container ship 'X-Press Pearl', confirm that the vessel's bow and forecastle deck are now submerged, and the forward section of the hull continues to slowly settle to the seabed at a depth of 21 meters. Observations from the Salvors as of 0600 Sri Lanka local time are there has been no noticeable fuel oil spill, and some minor debris has been collected.

A grey sheen continues to be observed emanating from the vessel, and discolouration of the sea in and around the wreck remains. This has been apparent since the vessel's stern became submerged, and the remnants of the cargo in the 1486 containers that were onboard were exposed to seawater.

The salvors will remain on scene to deal with any possible debris supported by the Sri Lankan Navy and Coast Guard, who have oil spill response capabilities on standby.

Representatives of ITOPF and Oil Spill Response are monitoring updates from the scene and are ready to deploy in case of any reported spill.

Ashore the vessel's Captain has appeared in court without charge supported by company lawyers under Section 12 of the MPPA. He was released on bail. The crew have all returned negative Covid-19 PCR tests and are out of quarantine and housed in local hotels; the two seafarers recovering from leg injuries remain under hospital care.

Further information will be provided as soon as it becomes available.