Costa Concordia shipwreck to be towed away by June

Italian officials confirmed Friday that June is the target date for removing the shipwreck from the water, though they say it could be later, depending on weather conditions. (Via ABC)

The chief executive of the company that owns the Costa Concordia told reporters, "We are very confident we can remove the ship from the island within the month of June." (Via Irish Independent)

It's unclear where the cruise ship will be towed to — officials say they'll decide on that sometime in March.

Sky News reports a handful of Italian ports and even France, Turkey, Britain and China have offered to take the ship.

But ​wherever it ends up, it will reportedly be dismantled in the final phase of a salvage effort that could end up costing more than $800 million. (Via ITN)

The announcement comes just days before the second anniversary of the Costa Concordia disaster.

The ship was on the last leg of a cruise around the Mediterranean Sea when it hit a reef and capsized in shallow water on Jan. 13, 2012. (Via CNN)

The 4,200 passengers on board were forced to board lifeboats or jump into the sea and swim to shore. But not everyone made it — 32 people lost their lives in the wreck. (Via BBC)

The captain of the ship has been criticized for his role in the accident and is now on trial for manslaughter.

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