Sri Lanka seeks initial $ 40 million in fire-damaged ship operator Sri Lanka News

Colombo is still assessing the damage with a claim that it represents expenses from May 20 to June 1, authorities say.

Sri Lanka is seeking a $ 40 million interim claim from the operator of a ship loaded with fire that sank off the coast of the country to cover part of the firefight, officials said on Saturday.

Sri Lanka’s chief prosecutor has sent the claim to lawyers representing X-Press Feeders, the ship’s operating company, said Darshani Lahandapura, head of the State Marine Environmental Protection Authority.

He said authorities were still assessing the damage, and that the provisional claim is seeking compensation for the expenses from May 20, from the time the ship caught fire, until June 1.

Singapore flag with MV X-Press Pearl it began to sink on June 2, the authorities extinguished the fire and one day.

Last week, experts recover data record of the fire vessel.

The fire broke out as the ship anchored about 9.5 nautical miles (18 kilometers) from the capital Colombo and waiting to enter the country’s main port.

The Sri Lankan navy believes the fire was caused by chemical cargo from the ship, which spilled more than 22 tonnes of nitric acid and other chemicals, most of which were destroyed in the fire. The waste associated with burnt fiberglass and tons of plastic pellets has already polluted the surrounding beaches.

There are concerns that spills of chemicals and oil left on the ship could destroy marine life.

However, Sri Lankan authorities and the ship’s operator say there is still no major oil spill.

The fire burned for 13 days before being extinguished last week. Attempts to take it to deeper waters failed when the stern of the ship sank on the seabed.

The vessel is submerged in water to a depth of 21 meters (70 feet).

On Friday, the government said it was testing water samples to see if the ship was spilling oil. The tests were influenced by satellite images from Planet Labs Inc., which showed a substance that could have been oil in the water next to the vessel.

A Colombo court has banned the ship’s captain, chief engineer and assistant engineer from leaving the country.