By Berk Kutay Gokmen
ISTANBUL (AA) - Sri Lanka's Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the owners of the MV X-Press Pearl cargo ship must pay the country $1 billion in compensation for severe environmental damage, the Colombo-based publication the News Wire reported.
The court ruled that Express Feeders, the owners of the MV X-Press Pearl, which sank near Colombo Port in June 2021 following a fire that burned for almost two weeks, must pay the fine within a year.
The Singapore-flagged ship caught fire on May 20 and sank a few days later, releasing billions of plastic pellets and toxic chemicals along Sri Lanka's western coastline.
The disaster caused severe harm to marine ecosystems and fishing communities and led to extensive cleanup operations and interim relief measures.
The court also found that former Sri Lankan Cabinet Minister Nalaka Godahewa and other parties violated fundamental rights by failing to take the necessary actions to prevent the environmental harm caused by the MV X-Press Pearl incident.