Italy has given the go-ahead for an ambitious attempt to set upright the Costa Concordia cruise liner, which went aground near an Italian island in 2012, killing 32 people.
The national Civil Protection agency today said the operation will be carried out later this month, once final safety certificates are issued. The exact date depends on calm seas near Giglio Island.
If engineers and crews succeed in righting the Concordia, the vessel will be eventually towed to a port for dismantling.
The manslaughter trial of the Concordia's captain, Francesco Schettino, resumes on September 23. The ship struck a reef, took on water and listed badly before capsizing off Giglio's port.
Prosecutors alleged Schettino steered the boat too close to shore. Schettino claims the reef didn't appear on his navigational charts.
