الرئيسية
GIGLIO, Italy (Reuters) - Salvagers started to pump fuel away from the
half-submerged wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship on Sunday, a
month after it capsized and foundered off the Italian coast.
Operations to remove more than 2,300 tons of fuel from the liner and
avert the threat of an oil spill in the surrounding marine reserve had
been initially delayed by the search for survivors and bodies and held
up further by rough weather.
"Finally we have some favorable weather and we'll keep on pumping
throughout the night," said Bart Huizing from Dutch salvage firm SMIT,
which has been tasked by the ship's owners to handle the fuel removal.
"We have the weather forecast showing at least four to five days of
good weather so we will continue with the pumping 24 hours a day," he
said.
Italy's Civil Protection Department said the operation to empty 15
fuel tanks within the ship would likely take 28 working days, as long as
the weather remained calm.
The 290-metre long vessel capsized close to the Tuscan island of
Giglio on January 13 after it struck a rock which tore a large gash in
its hull. At least 17 people died and 15 are still missing.
Its captain Francesco Schettino is blamed by the liner's owners for
causing the accident and is under house arrest, facing charges of
multiple manslaughter and abandoning ship before the evacuation of more
than 4,200 passengers and crew was complete.
(Reporting by Carmelo Camilli; Writing by Catherine Hornby; Editing by Alison Williams)
half-submerged wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship on Sunday, a
month after it capsized and foundered off the Italian coast.
Operations to remove more than 2,300 tons of fuel from the liner and
avert the threat of an oil spill in the surrounding marine reserve had
been initially delayed by the search for survivors and bodies and held
up further by rough weather.
"Finally we have some favorable weather and we'll keep on pumping
throughout the night," said Bart Huizing from Dutch salvage firm SMIT,
which has been tasked by the ship's owners to handle the fuel removal.
"We have the weather forecast showing at least four to five days of
good weather so we will continue with the pumping 24 hours a day," he
said.
Italy's Civil Protection Department said the operation to empty 15
fuel tanks within the ship would likely take 28 working days, as long as
the weather remained calm.
The 290-metre long vessel capsized close to the Tuscan island of
Giglio on January 13 after it struck a rock which tore a large gash in
its hull. At least 17 people died and 15 are still missing.
Its captain Francesco Schettino is blamed by the liner's owners for
causing the accident and is under house arrest, facing charges of
multiple manslaughter and abandoning ship before the evacuation of more
than 4,200 passengers and crew was complete.
(Reporting by Carmelo Camilli; Writing by Catherine Hornby; Editing by Alison Williams)