The capsized cruise liner has slipped, making it too dangerous for searchers to approach
The search of the capsized cruise liner Costa Concordia has been suspended, with 11 people confirmed dead and 23 still missing. The BBC reports the ship’s instruments indicated the vessel had slipped, and until it has settled it is too dangerous to resume search work. Meanwhile, a Dutch crew is already preparing to begin salvage efforts to reclaim 2400 tons of diesel fuel and 200 tons of oil from the ship, which is lying on its side off the coast of Tuscany, where it struck shallow rocks last Friday. Captain Francesco Schettino has been placed under house arrest, and is accused of steering the vessel off-course, and of abandoning ship before evacuation of the cruise liner was complete. While Costa Crociere, which owns the ship, has blamed the captain for the disaster, satellite records released to the BBC show that another Costa Crociere vessel took a similar off-course route only months ago; that diversion, however, was authorized.