It was decided at a special meeting held at the Presidential Secretariat today (01) under
the patronage of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to tow the wrecked X-PRESS PEARL Container Ship into the deep seas off the coast of Colombo.
Minister of Ports and Shipping Rohitha Abeygunawardena revealed all the details
including the vessel’s route from the United Arab Emirates on May 09 to the arrival near
the Port of Colombo on May 19.
Representatives from a number of fields, including shipping and the environment,
pointed out that the vessel was at risk of sinking. Their suggestion, then, was to take the vessel to the deep seas to minimize possible damage to the marine environment.
Accordingly, the President gave instructions to issue an immediate order to tow the
vessel into the deep seas based on the powers vested with the Chairman of the Marine Environment Protection Authority and based on technical facts as well as the advice of the Attorney General.
The President stated that the decision taken should be based solely on technical facts
and not on politics.
Latest update from Indian Coast Guard
#NeighbourhoodFirst #OperationSagarAraksha2 in final phase. No visible flames.Only white smoke emanating from forward deck.Salvors embarked #MVXPressPearl for assessment. #ICG Ships Samudra Prahari,Vaibhav & Vajra in vicinity. Aerial reccee carried by #ICG aircraft. No oil spill. pic.twitter.com/8rK9B4tMgZ
— Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) June 1, 2021
