The Marine Environment Protection Authority(MEPA) has sent sea water samples to a laboratory in France for testing to see if the water contains bunker oil, as part of its damage assessment work on the MV X-Press Pearl disaster.
MEPA Chairman Dharshani Lahandupura said the sea water samples were sent overseas through the UN experts working with the local team on damage assessment. MEPA is also making preparations to preserve and send samples of dead marine species to high tech laboratories in the United States and Norway for further testing.
“Many institutions have offered to help, the Foreign Ministry is liaising with the overseas agencies to get the best help that we can obtain,” Lahandupura said.
The container ship caused a major ecological disaster when it went down off Sri Lanka’s Western coast, following a fire on board triggered by leaking chemicals. Following the disaster, Sri Lanka was offered help by many countries to clean up the mess and assess the damage.
MEPA officials and a damage assessment expert team held another round of meetings yesterday to discuss the way forward.
Deputy Solicitor General Madava Tennakoon representing the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) told the Colombo Magistrate’s Court last week that over 200 dead marine species have washed up on the shore since the disaster.
According to him, 20 dolphins, four whales and 176 turtles have washed ashore following the fire. The new ship owned by a Singaporean company was on its third voyage at the time the disaster struck.
Since the unfortunate accident, the ship has earned the nickname, ‘Toxic Ship’.
The Ministry of Justice earlier said the P&I Club, the insurers of the vessel, agreed to pay around Rs. 720 million ($3.6m) as part of the settlement of the first interim claim. This will be used to pay compensation to fishermen who lost their livelihood due to the MV X-Press Pearl fire.