Rescue teams halt search of Italian vessel

18/01/12 12:24 CET

world news

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Italian divers on Wednesday suspended their search for missing people from a stranded cruiser ship to allow its fuel tanks to be emptied.

The Costa Concordia is carrying 2,300 tonnes of fuel on board.

A spillage could wreak havoc along Tuscany’s dramatic coastline, one of Italy’s most renowned maritime beauty spots.

The Concordia has been stranded near Giglio Island since Friday.

Italian coastguards say the ship is slipping and warn it could fall into deeper waters.

Eleven people are known to have died.

Twenty-four of the 4,200 people on board at the time of the crash remain unaccounted for.

Rescue officials believe the chances of finding any more survivors are fading rapidly.

Also Read- Cruise success poses a giant challenge

More about: Accident, Rescue, Shipwrecks, Victims

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