Residents of the island of Santorini braved the cold weather yesterday and gathered to demand the immediate removal of fuel from the sunken ferry Sea Diamond.

The cruise ship, which sunk off Santorini last April, has tons of fuel in its tanks which has yet to be pumped out. About 1,000 of the island’s approximately 7,000 permanent residents gathered to demand that the fuel be removed, arguing that it is an environmental time bomb that threatens the popular holiday destination, according to Skai television.

Louis Hellenic Cruises, the owner of the Sea Diamond ferry, said last week its insurance will not cover the cost of a salvage operation, as the ferry operator was not responsible for the accident. The operator has blamed inaccurate maps for the ship running aground on a reef.