After 19 hours marked by delays and technical problems, at 4 a.m. sirens in the port of Il Giglio celebrated the announcement that the 289-meter cruise ship, which has lain on its side on the island’s shore since january 2012, was finally upright, reports Corriere della Sera.
One of the reasons for celebrations is the fact that, to date, no polluting substances seem to have been released from the Costa Concordia’s rusting hull, as was previously feared.
But the tiny island will have to live with the wrecked ship at least until next spring, when it will be towed away to be scrapped. The rival ports of Piombino, Civitavecchia, Naples and Palermo are all fighting to secure the multi-million euro contract to complete this job.
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