In an ambitious and risky operation, the capsized cruise liner 'Costa Concordia' has been righted following a successful parbuckling operation by Titan Salvage and Italian marine contractor Micoperi.
Beginning on Monday and delayed by weather and equipment issues, the ship was removed off the rocks and upwards by about 25 degrees, "far enough to start drawing water into the massive steel boxes attached to the exposed side of the hull and using the weight of that water to finish rolling the hulk onto a steel platform built off the sea floor," reported CNN.
An ROV submarine will then inspect the newly exposed starboard side of the ship as the next phase of the salvage operation goes underway.
With a projected completion date of Summer, 2014, the operation is the largest maritime salvage operation ever, according to Titan Salvage, with the parbuckling manoeuvre never before attempted on such a large vessel.
According to CNN, two missing bodies have yet to be recovered from the wreck, and the vessel contained "thousands of liters of thick lubricants, paints, insecticides, glue and paint thinners before it crashed. There are also 10 large tanks of oxygen and 3,929 liters of carbon dioxide aboard."
The cruise ship also reportedly still contains "refrigerators filled with milk, cheese, eggs and vegetables have been closed tight since the disaster."
"The freezers that have not burst under the water pressure are still locked with their thawed, rotting contents sealed inside, including 1,268 kilograms of chicken breasts, 8,200 kilograms of beef, 2,460 kilograms of cheese and 6,850 liters of ice cream," CNN concluded.
Source: CNN
