The Sri Lankan government has decided to launch a fresh investigation into the 2021 X-Press Pearl disaster. Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told a media outlet that the government will review past inaction, as previous authorities failed to file claims for the disaster’s civil liability costs.The disaster occurred in 2021 when the Singaporean MV X-Press Pearl container ship caught fire off the Sri Lankan coast and caused significant environmental damage polluting local beaches with hazardous chemicals and plastic pellets. While Sri Lanka is expected to receive 810 thousand dollars to cover recent beach cleaning and debris removal expenses, a substantial claim towards civil liability for the environmental damage and restoration costs remains unresolved. Reportedly, the insurance company for the ship has already compensated the Sri Lankan government to the tune of USD 7.85 million.
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