No signs of debris and no reports of oil pollution; X-Press Pearl operator

COLOMBO (News 1st);  X-Press Feeders, operators of the container ship 'X-Press Pearl' confirmed that the situation on scene remains the same with no signs of debris and no reports of oil pollution. The ships aft portion is sitting on the seabed at a depth of about 21 meters, and the forward section continues to settle down slowly. Navy divers attempted to inspect the vessel under the direction of salvors but were forced to resurface due to poor visibility, it said in a statement. 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. Ashore representatives of ITOPF and Oil Spill Response are monitoring updates from the scene and remain on standby to be deployed in case of any reported spill, it said adding that they continue to coordinate with MEPA and the Sri Lankan Navy on an established plan to deal with any possible spill of oil and other pollutants. "We remain committed to assist in the shoreline cleanup efforts led by MEPA and the Sri Lankan Navy. Due to the lockdown in Sri Lanka, we can only contribute machinery, not manpower, and we will continue to be guided by the local authorities," the statement further added. The crew continue to co-operate with local police in their investigations, with four of the officers interviewed so far. They remain housed in a quarantine hotel with other crew members. One seafarer remains in a private hospital recovering from leg injuries sustained in the evacuation from the ship. A second injured seafarer, who tested Covid positive but remains asymptomatic, is recovering in a military hospital.