Crews begin pulling truck from ice near Deline, N.W.T.

Crew members started work Thursday to remove afuel tanker from theice on Great Bear Lakeabout three kilometres from Deline, N.W.T.

The Bassett Petroleum truck broke through the ice on March 5 on its way to deliver fuel to the community.The fuel was drained from the truck Monday night.

"I'd say I'll get a very good update by last light tonight as to how they're coming along," said Kevin McLeod, director of highways for the N.W.T.'s Department of Transportation, early Friday afternoon.

"It's a very slow and deliberate process."

On Friday, "they cut the ice around the truck, which was a very delicate operation of course, and they have attached the truck to a cable and they are lifting it up as we speak. And then they'll drag it out of the water."

Asked if the work will be completed by the end of Friday, McLeod replied, "I'm optimistic they'll get proceeding. But I've been involved in many of these things and anything can happen. We must be prepared for it."

The community is expecting 70 moretruckloads of fuel.McLeod said a detour road around the truck could be opened to other fuel-carrying trucks "as early as Saturday."

As for whether the incident will shorten the ice crossing's operating window this year it typically closes during the last week of March or the first week of April McLeod said, "That's strictly up to mother nature."