Sri Lankan authorities have released four of the eight seafarers from the ill-fated container ship X-Press Pearl that they have been holding since the vessel caught fire and sank off Colombo in May.
Singapore-based X-Press Feeders, operator of the 2,743-teu X-Press Pearl (built 2021), said a Sri Lankan court lifted the travel ban on the four former crew members last Friday, and arrangements are being made for their immediate repatriation.
"We continue to work with the Sri Lankan authorities towards the further lifting of travel bans for the four remaining crew members who remain housed at a hotel in Colombo," the company said.
"We are very aware and concerned about the toll that their lengthy separation from family and friends is taking on them mentally and physically and the ongoing burden placed on their families at home. We are providing as much support as possible to these much-valued seafarers and their families and are hoping to see them repatriated as soon as possible," it added.
Although the 25 seafarers who formed the X-Press Pearl's crew were safely evacuated from their ship when it caught fire, they were detained by Sri Lankan authorities after the fire and subsequent partial sinking of the vessel caused widespread pollution along the coastline.
The vessel's master was later charged with committing offences under Sri Lanka's Marine Pollution Prevention Act.
The rest of the crew was told to stay put, ostensibly to help with investigations.
Several were allowed to return home at various intervals after July, but the ship's master, the chief engineer, two chief officers, the electrical officer, second officer, third officer and an able bodied seaman were ordered to remain in the country despite X-Press Feeders being unable to get any official answer as to what still needed to be investigated.
X-Press Feeders revealed earlier this month that Shanghai Salvage had been contracted the remove the wreck and had mobilised its resources to undertake the work.
At the same time, US firm Resolve Maritime began the task of recovering the containers and debris that were lost overboard during the vessel's fire and subsequent sinking.
