Daunting salvage work for Costa Concordia
It's been two weeks since the Costa Concordia ran aground.
And divers are still scouring the wreck of the ship, to assess the damage.
The disaster has left 16 people dead, while 16 others are still missing.
It could cost the insurance industry 1 billion U.S. dollars -- the largest ever shipping loss.
It's also posing one of the most daunting recovery tasks ever.
At 290 metres long and 36 metres wide -- the Costa Concordia is twice the size of the Titanic.
It's estimated to weigh up to 45,000 tonnes.
But because it is tipped on its side, the ship is now much heavier. It is weighed down with water, and has soaked furnishings, mattresses and carpets.
There are fears that the rocks beneath it could crumble or collapse.
It could cost 50 million dollars to salvage the ship. The owners must decide whether it makes more sense financially to refloat it, chop it into pieces and sell the scraps, or simply let it sink.
But before any of that can be done-- salvagers must make sure that the fuel is removed. The Costa Concordia has fuel stored in more than a dozen tanks, some of which are the size of a house.
Michaela Cabrera, Reuters.
And divers are still scouring the wreck of the ship, to assess the damage.
The disaster has left 16 people dead, while 16 others are still missing.
It could cost the insurance industry 1 billion U.S. dollars -- the largest ever shipping loss.
It's also posing one of the most daunting recovery tasks ever.
At 290 metres long and 36 metres wide -- the Costa Concordia is twice the size of the Titanic.
It's estimated to weigh up to 45,000 tonnes.
But because it is tipped on its side, the ship is now much heavier. It is weighed down with water, and has soaked furnishings, mattresses and carpets.
There are fears that the rocks beneath it could crumble or collapse.
It could cost 50 million dollars to salvage the ship. The owners must decide whether it makes more sense financially to refloat it, chop it into pieces and sell the scraps, or simply let it sink.
But before any of that can be done-- salvagers must make sure that the fuel is removed. The Costa Concordia has fuel stored in more than a dozen tanks, some of which are the size of a house.
Michaela Cabrera, Reuters.