Navios Maritime Partners has paid $10m to the Maldives government as compensation for a bulker reef grounding.

The Greek owner's 58,735-dwt supramax Navios Amaryllis (built 2009) lodged on the Rasfari reef in Kaafu Atoll on 19 August.

The Xinhua news agency said the money was deposited by the shipowner into an account of the Maldives Monetary Authority, the country's central bank, on 5 December.

It had previously been reported that the government was seeking compensation of $6.5m.

The vessel can now finally leave the country. AIS data showed the vessel still anchored off Male on Tuesday.

The islands' deputy transport minister Hamad Abdul Ghanee claimed on 26 August that the ship ran aground due to the negligence of the captain, who allegedly did not report an engine failure.

The Xinhua report said investigations by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) revealed that the ship ran aground because its engine had been shut down due to overheating.

Navios Maritime Partners has been contacted for comment.

Regret from operator

The Maldives National Defence Force said the bulker was pulled free of the reef on 29 August.

Manager Navios Shipmanagement has previously said it regretted the incident and that a full damage assessment had been launched.

The EPA has said the ship may have caused significant damage to coral reefs.

Tsavliris Salvage was contracted to refloat the vessel.

The salvor confirmed about 1,600 tonnes of bunker fuel and lubricants were transferred from lower to topside tanks to prevent any pollution risk.

The bulker grounded across its full length.

Marine environmental protection company Polyeco was also brought in to assist in the salvage operation because of the environmentally sensitive location.