The wreck of the Costa Concordia
was making good progress on its last voyage from the Tuscan
island of to Genoa on Thursday amid "excellent" weather
conditions and praise for the way the transfer was being
overseen.
By 11:00 local time the Concordia was said to have
travelled 48.5 of the 180 miles that separate Giglio from the
Liguria port of Genoa where it will be turned into scrap, and to
be navigating at an average speed of two knots.
In a statement, Costa Crociere, which owns the ship that
partially sank off Giglio after hitting rocks in January 2012,
killing 32, said the sea was calm and that there was a slight
northwesterly wind.
Earlier, the Italian coast guard authorities exchanged
information with a French ship that followed the Concordia
shortly after its passed the Tuscan island of Pianosa.
The wreck set off from Giglio on Wednesday and is being
pulled by four tugs accompanied by a convoy of other vessels.
If all goes to plan, it is expected to arrive in Genoa
between Saturday and Sunday.
Meanwhile astronomers based in the Tuscan port of Piombino
said they managed to photograph the Concordia wreck using a
telescope as it travelled in waters off the town during and just
after sunset Wednesday.
Also on Thursday the mayor of Genoa, Marco Doria,
congratulated the head of Italy's civil protection authority,
Franco Gabrielli, for the "great professionalism and precision"
with which the department was following the removal operation.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
