Italian Rescuers Resume Search of Wrecked Cruise Ship

Posted January 20th, 2012 at 2:50 pm (UTC-5)
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Italian rescuers have resumed their search for at least 21 people still missing a week after their cruise ship ran aground.

The rescue operation was suspend earlier Friday after stormy weather caused the Costa Concordia to shift on its rocky ledge off Italy's northwestern coast.

Officials say the partially-submerged 114,000-ton ship has stabilized enough for the search to resume on the upper part of the vessel.

Inclement weather might delay work to remove thousands of tons of fuel from the ship, an effort to prevent leaks that might cause an environmental disaster along the Tuscan coast.

The vessel, which is owned by U.S.-based Carnival Corporation, ran into a rocky reef last Friday, damaging its hull and flipping on a side.

So far 11 people have been reported dead in the accident. Carnival Corporation said late Thursday it will conduct a comprehensive audit of all ten of its cruise lines to review safety standards and procedures following the Concordia accident.

The world's largest cruise line says it will consult with a panel of emergency response experts to review the circumstances of accident.

The $450 million Costa Concordia cruise ship was carrying more than 4,200 passengers and crew when it ran aground.

The ship's captain Francesco Schettino is under house arrest. He has been accused of multiple manslaughter and abandoning the ship before the evacuation of all the passengers and crew was complete.