The Government on Tuesday (23) said that it will consult the Attorney General (AG) on the next course of action after the owning company of a vessel failed to honour a court order directing it to pay $ 1 billion in compensation for a mishap, considered to be the worst marine disaster in the Indian Ocean.

The Singapore-flagged container vessel MV X-Press Pearl caught fire in May 2021 off the Colombo Port and burned for nearly two weeks while carrying 81 containers of hazardous chemicals, including 25 tonnes of nitric acid. The incident caused widespread marine pollution, with billions of plastic nurdles and toxic substances spilling into the Sri Lankan waters, killing marine life and devastating coastal communities. Dead turtles, dolphins and whales were seen washed up onto beaches for weeks following the disaster.

On 24 July of this year, the Supreme Court (SC) directed the ship’s owning and operating companies to pay $ 1 billion in compensation, with an initial tranche of $ 250 million due by Tuesday.

Cabinet Spokesperson Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa told reporters that the AG would be consulted on the matter, after reports emerged that the vessel’s owners in Singapore were unwilling to make the payment.

The Chief Executive Officer of the owning company, Shmuel Yoskovitz was quoted in the foreign media as saying that the Court ruling undermined the principle of the limitation of liability in maritime law and that compliance with the payment order could set a dangerous precedent for resolving future maritime incidents.

The SC had termed the X-Press Pearl disaster the worst marine chemical catastrophe in recorded history in the Indian Ocean and declared it a violation of the Fundamental Rights of Sri Lankan fisherfolk to engage in lawful occupation.

Following the incident, Sri Lanka also instituted criminal proceedings against the vessel’s Captain, Chief Engineer and Chief Officer for the damage caused.

(The Press Trust of India)