Concordia has travelled 48.5 miles, weather 'excellent'

Genoa mayor praises civil protection for 'professionalism'

(ANSA) - Rome, July 24 - The wreck of the Costa Concordia was making good progress on its last voyage from the Tuscan island of to Genoa on Thursday amid "excellent" weather conditions and praise for the way the transfer was being overseen.

By 11:00 local time the Concordia was said to have travelled 48.5 of the 180 miles that separate Giglio from the Liguria port of Genoa where it will be turned into scrap, and to be navigating at an average speed of two knots. In a statement, Costa Crociere, which owns the ship that partially sank off Giglio after hitting rocks in January 2012, killing 32, said the sea was calm and that there was a slight northwesterly wind. Earlier, the Italian coast guard authorities exchanged information with a French ship that followed the Concordia shortly after its passed the Tuscan island of Pianosa.

The wreck set off from Giglio on Wednesday and is being pulled by four tugs accompanied by a convoy of other vessels. If all goes to plan, it is expected to arrive in Genoa between Saturday and Sunday. Meanwhile astronomers based in the Tuscan port of Piombino said they managed to photograph the Concordia wreck using a telescope as it travelled in waters off the town during and just after sunset Wednesday. Also on Thursday the mayor of Genoa, Marco Doria, congratulated the head of Italy's civil protection authority, Franco Gabrielli, for the "great professionalism and precision" with which the department was following the removal operation.