Italian authorities said divers removed over 2,000 tons of fuel from the Costa Concordia cruise liner that sank in January killing at least 30 people.
Environmentalists have been highly concerned about possible fuel leak into the Mediterranean after the ship with about 4,200 people onboard ran aground off the Tuscany coast in Italy on January 14.
The work to remove the fuel began on Thursday, said Franco Gabrielli, head of Italy’s civil protection agency, who also ruled out the threat of fuel leak.
The next step in the ship rescue effort is to clear the ship rubble and clean the seabed, which experts said could take about a year.
Costa Concordia’s captain Francesco Schettino has been put under house arrest on suspicions of negligence, involuntary manslaughter, and leaving the ship in distress.
