Tank to float Concordia shifts

MILAN (AP) — One of the tanks fastened to the shipwrecked Costa Concordia cruise liner to help prepare it for removal to land shifted out of position Tuesday due to a tangled chain.

The consortium overseeing the operation said technicians were working to realign the chain, and that there had been no additional damage to the ship. It was not clear if the tank has been damaged and if the incident would cause delays in latest phase of the Concordia’s removal.

Workers began fastening tanks to the ship last week. The tanks, 19 in all, were being filled with water to help stabilize the Concordia, now resting on an artificial seabed after it was set upright in September.

The tank that shifted is the largest and was the first to be fastened. Its positioning is somewhat more challenging as it is mounted horizontally, while the other tanks are attached vertically.

The liner capsized off the Italian island of Giglio in 2012 after striking a reef. Thirty-two people died. The ship’s captain is being tried on manslaughter and other charges.

The Concordia will be floated to a port, yet to be determined, for scrapping.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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