Italy cruise ship fuel being pumped out
The Associated Press
Posted: Feb 12, 2012 1:03 PM ET
Last Updated: Feb 12, 2012 2:12 PM ET
Underwater pumping operations began Sunday to remove some of the 1.9 million litres of fuel aboard the Costa Concordia, officials said, nearly a month after the cruise ship ran aground off the Italy's Tuscan coast.
After nearly two weeks of delays because of rough seas and bad weather, the pumping got under way on the first of 15 tanks that are believed to hold around 84 per cent of the fuel on board, Italy's civil protection department said.
Officials say it will take 28 consecutive days of pumping to empty the tanks.
Dutch shipwreck salvage firm Smit is overseeing the operation, along with an Italian partner.
The fuel extraction process involves fixing valves on the underwater fuel tanks, one on top, one on bottom. Hoses are attached to the valves and as the oil — which must be warmed to make it less gooey — is sucked out of the upper hose, sea water is pumped in to fill the vacuum via the lower hose.
Ever since the Concordia ran aground Jan. 13, fears have swirled about fuel leaks and resulting contamination of the pristine waters off the tiny island of Giglio, which form part of a protected sanctuary for dolphins, whales and porpoises. There have been no reports of any serious leaks.
Deviated from planned course
The Concordia slammed into a reef off Giglio after the captain deviated from the ship's planned course in an apparent stunt. Passengers have said the captain then delayed sounding the evacuation alarm until the ship had capsized so much that lifeboats on one side couldn't be lowered.
The captain, Francesco Schettino, is under house arrest, accused of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning the ship before all the passengers had been evacuated. He has said the reef wasn't marked on his nautical charts.
Earlier Sunday during a memorial service for victims, Italy's president and the country's top bishop demanded justice and called for the truth of what transpired that night to come to light.
"Let the light of the Lord help bring about truth and justice, let wounds be healed and let trust and courage for the future be reinforced," Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco said in his homily.
Another memorial service, falling on the one-month commemoration of the grounding, was planned for Monday in Giglio itself.
Share Tools
Top News Headlines
- B.C. police shooting video sparks calls for new probe
- Amateur video of the shooting of a mentally ill Vancouver man five years ago has prompted calls for B.C.'s police complaint commissioner and Crown prosecutors to take another look at the case. more »
- 'Engine shutdown' forced Air Canada jet to land
- A Japan-bound Air Canada Boeing 777 jet had to make an emergency landing at Toronto's Pearson airport on Monday, after one of its engines failed. more »
- CP Rail union, Tories battle over collective bargaining
- The federal Conservatives defended their plan to force striking Canadian Pacific Railway employees back to work as a way to keep the economy on track, while the union representing 4,800 workers said their collective bargaining rights are under attack. more »
- Quebec resumes student talks as protests ebb
- A new round of negotiations between student leaders and Quebec's Liberal government over the province's tuition-fee crisis end at night, as hundreds of people take to the streets in protest. more »
Latest World News Headlines
- Annan calls Syrian massacre 'an appalling crime'
- UN mediator Kofi Annan arrived in Damascus today, saying he was 'shocked and horrified' by the massacre of 108 people, including 49 children, in the town of Houla. more »
- Vatican denies cardinal suspected in leaks scandal
- One of the Vatican's biggest scandals in decades appeared to be widening with reports that an Italian cardinal may be part of a power struggle involving leaked documents, corruption and intrigue — a suggestion the Vatican quickly denied. more »
- Obama calls treatment of Vietnam vets a 'national shame'
- U.S. President Barack Obama praised Vietnam veterans as war heroes who were often not given the welcome they deserved on their return home. more »
- Hesjedal knew Giro win was no sure thing
- Victoria cyclist Ryder Hesjedal says his Giro d'Italia victory was never a sure thing, despite being the favourite going into the final stage of the three-week race. more »
Dispatches »
- Foreign slaves serving the U.S. military machine May. 24, 2012 3:33 PM How does a hairdresser recruited for work in Dubai, wind up slaving for the U.S. military in a war zone in Iraq? There are tens of thousands serving in what's come to be known as America's "Invisible Army."
Connect Newsroom Blog
Series launches tonight May. 28, 2012 6:33 PM Tonight we're launching our week-long series #bullyPROOF and we're starting things off by heading back to class for a closer look at bullying in our schools.
- 'Engine shutdown' forced Air Canada jet to land
- Missing Winnipeg kids found in Mexico are back with mom
- Thunder Bay flooding causes state of emergency
- Canadian Everest climber's body recovered
- Vatican denies cardinal suspected in leaks scandal
- Evolution skeptics will soon be silenced by science: Richard Leakey
- Man, woman shot dead in Burnaby restaurant
- CP Rail union, Tories battle over collective bargaining
- Wacky weather mix across Canada
