Video - Raising the Costa Concordia, live stream.

Video - Raising the Costa Concordia, live stream.HT: Telegraph.

Engineers attempt one of the most expensive wreck removal operations in history: raising an Italian cruise ship that capsized in 2012.

The latest press briefing has just taken place on Giglio, where officials have confirmed that the operation is going to plan and that the ship has been pulled free from the rocky reefs on which it was wedged.

Nick Squires reports:

The ship has been raised by three degrees - that means there's another 62 degrees to go before it is upright."Things are going as planned, so a certain amount of optimism is justified," said Franco Gabrielli, the Italian official in overall command of the operation.

"The game is not over but things are going according to plan."

So far the ship has not emitted any dirty water or debris, he said. "The water is clean for now. But we are conscious of the fact that we are right at the beginning."
Sergio Girotto, a chief engineer, said the side of the ship that has been lying in water for 20 months had suffered "huge damage" and deformation.
That damage is apparently no worse than expected by the engineers, but they will be keeping a close eye on it as the parbuckling process continues.