With the help of tugboats, the Costa Concordia has been moved to the east of about a hundred feet almost reaching the position where it will remain for a few days. The next steps will involve a further increase of the wreck.
In a few hours the Concordia will return to float. The operation started this morning at about 6 a.m which led to the removal of the wrecked cruise ship. "We can not wait to take her away at last," said the director of operations Nick Sloane. "The operation will be over when Lily will be back to normal before the accident," said Environmental Minister Gian Luca Galletti. The first phase will consist of carrying out the checks of systems and facilities so that immediately after the arrival of the last ferry from Porto Santo Stefano you will start to pick up the ship. The wreck will be raised about two feet and moved 30 meters to the east. Then the ship will be moored securely and technicians will be able to complete the installation and tensioning of some cables and chains, then the starboard side of the caissons will be lowered to let them reach the final position. Only once this stage is completed, the Concordia will be traced from the bottom of the sea, a bridge at a time, until the bridge the three.
On July 21, Concordia will be demolished, at this point, the ship will begin its final journey, from Lily to Genoa, where it will be demolished. The meeting is scheduled for July 21, but "could be advanced to Saturday 19 - said yesterday the project chief for Costa Cruises, Franco Porcellacchia - in case there are no hitches in the operation and weather conditions are optimal ". To echo him is Nick Sloane: "After exactly 31 months since the accident occurred we finally manage to remove the wreck. We can not wait to start. " The words of Franco Gabrielli, head of the Civil Protection: "No one can let go the enthusiasm and think that it is a formality - he said tearing a round of applause in the press room - First of all, out of respect for the families of the 33 victims, including the Spanish diver who died on duty. "
