Costa Concordia salvage operation begins

Italian marine engineers are hoping that they will make history today, as the salvage operation to right the Costa Concordia gets under way. Bad weather delayed the start of the operation, but after a three hour delay the pumps have started, cables are being tightened, and fingers are being crossed. It is one of the most complex salvage operations ever attempted, using a technique that is been dubbed “parbuckling” as the ship is rotated and pulled from above and below, allowing it to right itself and settle on a barge that has already been built underwater. The semi-submerged ship will then be towed to Sicily to be broken up for scrap. The financial stakes for the insurers involved are huge; the operation has cost 600 million euros so far, and the costs continue to mount.