X-Press Pearl’s wreck to be removed after South Westerly Monsoon season

The removal of the X-Press Pearl’s wreck from the seabed off Colombo, Sri Lanka, will start once the South Westerly Monsoon season ends, operator of the ill-fated vessel said.

The period in question covers the month of June until September.

“Due to the exposed nature of the anchorage to the prevailing South Westerly Monsoon, it is likely that the wreck removal can only start after the SW monsoon subsides; caretaker services will remain on site until then,” Singapore-based X-Press Feeders said.

They will continue to minimise pollution and monitor the wreck's condition and report daily to experts ashore and Government agencies. 

Efforts are being undertaken to minimise pollution and monitor the wreck’s condition which is now wholly sitting on the seabed at a depth of 21 meters.

A grey sheen continues to be observed emanating from the vessel, and discolouration of the sea in and around the wreck remains. This has been apparent since the vessel's stern became submerged, and the remnants of the cargo in the 1486 containers that were onboard were exposed to seawater.

Representatives of ITOPF and Oil Spill Response are monitoring updates from the scene and are ready to deploy in case of any reported spill. 

In addition, the feeder operator said that navigational warning lights and markers on the wreck for the safety of other vessels are set to be installed.

“When conditions allow, side-scan sonar will be used to locate any sunken containers or debris in the anchorage for removal,” the caretakers said.