Rome - Salvage workers have pumped over a third of the fuel out of the shipwrecked Italian cruise liner Costa Concordia, the ship's owner said in a statement on Friday last week.
“From the time de-fuelling began (on February 12) until 7am on February 17, a total of 952 cubic metres of fuel had been pumped out of four tanks located in the forward part of the ship,” Costa Crociere said.
The luxury liner ran aground off Giglio Island on January 13 with a total of 4 229 people on board, killing 32 people. The bodies of 15 of those lost have still to be recovered.
The Dutch company Smit, working with the Italian firm Neri, is handling the fuel removal operation and still has 1 428 cubic metres to pump out of 13 tanks.
“According to the schedule drawn up by the Neri/Smit Salvage experts, if the sea and weather conditions remain favourable, all of the fuel still on board the Costa Concordia should be extracted within three working weeks,” the company said.
Officials have warned of an environmental disaster should the fuel leak into the sea off Giglio, which is renowned for its pristine waters.
Only once the fuel has been removed from the vessel, which is beached on two vast rocks near the shore, can work begin to refloat it - an operation that experts say will take at least seven months and possibly as many as 10. - AFP