Call for Costa Concordia to be chained down

An Italian government minister has called for the marooned cruise ship Costa Concordia to be chained to the sea bed to stop it slipping into deep water as a British passenger said she would sue the owners after she lost her husband's ashes while abandoning ship.

Experts using sensors to monitor the movement of the vessel, which is lying on its side in 37 metres of water off the Tuscan island of Giglio, said it was shifting at a rate of about 7mm an hour.

Divers searching for missing passengers were due to be allowed back on board the ship on Saturday after being evacuated for the third time on Friday when sensors picked up movement from the vessel. If the wreck moves 30 metres offshore it will fall into depths of 70 metres.

Eleven passengers are known to have died after the captain, Francesco Schettino, steered the 114,000-tonne vessel carrying more than 4,200 passengers and crew into a rocky outcrop on 13 January while attempting to "salute" a Giglio resident.

full: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/20/call-costa-concordia-chained-down