No oil in X-Press Pearl- MEPA

The oil in the fuel tanks of MV X-Press Pearl had been burned out during the fire onboard, Dharshani Lahandapura, Chairperson of Marine Environment Protection Agency (MEPA), said yesterday.

She added that the reports submitted by the Captain, who led the salvage team, and international experts, both had confirmed that there was no oil in the tanks.

“There were 300 metric tons of fuel in the ship. We test the water near the wreck daily but so far we have not seen signs of an oil leak.

The Captain who lead the salvage team and international experts who arrived on site assume that the oil must have burned off given the intensity of the fire and the fact that it raged for days,” Lahandapura said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Anil Jasinghe, Secretary, Ministry of Environment said that he was awaiting instructions from AG to remove the debris. “The CEA has ability to dispose of debris safely,” Dr. Jasinge said. (IN)