Sunken Greek cruise ship to be cleared of trapped fuel

May 18, 2009, 13:09 GMT

Athens - Two years after the cruise ship Sea Diamond sank off the coast of the holiday island of Santorini, Greek authorities are to begin the operation to pump hundreds of tons of fuel out of the vessel, reports said Monday.

Three remote controlled robotic submarines belonging to Dronik Maritime Consultants will carry out the operation, pumping out the approximately 450 tons of fuel contained in the ship.

The 22,000 tonne Sea Diamond, operated by Louis Cruise Lines, hit a reef on April 5, 2007 close to the holiday island and sank early the following day.

The ship's owner, Cyprus-based Louis Hellenic Cruises will pick up the estimated 6-million-euro (8.1 million dollars) bill for the work, estimated to cost 6 million euros, which is expected to last more than three weeks.

More than 1,600 passengers and crew were evacuated safely following the accident, but hours after the government declared the rescue operation a success it was discovered that a 45-year-old Frenchman and his 16-year-old daughter were missing and are assumed dead.

The company claims that human error caused the ship to sink and a Greek prosecutor charged the captain and five other crew with negligence leading to the sinking. All five received suspended sentences and were set free.

The ship sank at a depth of 143 meters with much of its fuel still on board, raising fears of widespread pollution.

The government claims that it tried to contain an oil spill from polluting the turquoise blue waters around Santorini immediately following the sinking, claiming that at least two-thirds of the fuel has already been pumped out.

Louis Cruises had paid for a surface clean-up operation from the island's coastline but refused to raise the ship because of the depth, warning that the wreck could split in two and spill the remaining fuel into the sea.