Sri Lankan authorities said over the weekend they will seek $40m in damages from the operator of the X-Press Pearl, a ship that caught fire last month and sank off the island’s west coast, creating one of the country’s worst ever ecological disasters.

Ports and shipping minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena said an interim claim had been lodged with X-Press Feeders.

“In addition to this, we will also seek reimbursement of the cost of putting out the fire,” Abeygunawardena said, adding that the full damage to the environment was still being assessed.