LNP – X-press Feeders pays Sri Lanka US$ 3.6mn

X-press Feeders, operators of the container ship ‘X-press Pearl’, through the vessel owner’s P&I insurers, have made an initial payment of US$3.6 million to the Sri Lankan government to help compensate those affected by the consequences of the fire and sinking of the vessel.

Sri Lanka had sought an initial payment of Rs. 700 million to cover the cost of compensation for fishermen affected by the fire. X-press Feeders said that discussions are ongoing on the payment of further claims and all legitimate claims will be considered.

“We continue to contribute to the cleanup and pollution mitigation efforts, having flown in additional oil spill response assets on a chartered flight from Malaysia in response to a request from the UN-EU team in Colombo,” X-press Feeders said.

The shipping company also said that at the wreck site, caretaker salvors remain on a 24-hour watch to deal with any debris and report any form of a spill with drones deployed daily to help with the monitoring activities.