Cruise ship search suspended

2012-01-22 2

Italian rescue workers were forced to call a new suspension of search operations after wrecked cruise liner Costa Concordia moved again on Sunday.
The ship keeled over after striking a rock on January 13, and is now lying on its side on a shelf in about 20 metres of water off the small island of Giglio.
Nine days since the accident, the 114,500 tonne wreck is shifting precariously on the underwater ledge, threatening to slide further into the sea.
With hopes of finding survivors all but gone, experts warn that beyond the loss of lives this could turn into Italy's worst maritime environmental emergency in over 20 years if the 2,400 tonnes of fuel leak into the Mediterranean.
On Saturday, rescuers found the body of a woman inside the capsized vessel, bringing the death toll to at least 12 people.
Twenty people are still unaccounted for.
Travis Brecher, Reuters

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