Operations begin to refloat wrecked Italian Cruise Ship

Two years after it hit a reef and capsized killing 32 people, the wrecked Italians Cruise ship Costa Concordia has reportedly been raised from the sea bed where it has been lying all this while.

According to the BBC, the ship has been lifted about 2 metre off the sea-bed in what has been dubbed one of the biggest sea salvage operations in history. The process is likely to take six or seven days to finish after which the ship will be towed to home port, Genoa where it will be disposed.

Meanwhile, the report added that a search for the remains of Indian waiter Russel Rebello, who was one of the 32 killed during the accident and whose body could not be recovered afterwards, will be carried out during the operation.

The vessel which capsized after hitting a reef off the Italian island of Giglio in January 2012 is being raised by pumping air into its tanks. It was lifted partially out of the sea in September and was resting on six steel platforms. The report quoted Costa Concordia's owners, Costa Crociere as pegging the cost of the operation at 2 billion dollars.