Costa Concordia Cruise ship rescue operation starts

An operation to rescue the Costa Concordia Cruise ship which crashed into a reef close to Giglo Island in Italy's Toksana region started on Monday. The first phase of rescuing the 114 thousand ton Costa Concordia Cruise ship which involves straightening the ship with a Parbuckling system, and costs over 600 million Euros, started at 9.00 a.m. local time. Giglo Island was closed to maritime traffic during the operation as Italian coast guard took intensive security measures around the wreckage. The operation, in which the Parbuckling system - dating back to the 19th century and consisting of turning barrels via two ropes - will be used on such a large ship for the first time was scheduled to start at 6.00 a.m, but was delayed for 3 hours due to bad weather. Authorities expect the straightening process to last 10 or 12 hours. The Italian-American Consortium Micoperi-Titan undertook the rescue operation in which 500 people from 26 countries are participating. It is reported that when the operation succeeds, the cruise ship will be taken to Piombine Port with tugboats and floating units. The first phase of the rescue operation, referred to as the Parbuckling Project, is being followed by 350 journalists from different agencies around the world including Anadolu Agency.