Search for Costa Concordia missing called off

Updated at 10:22 a.m. ET

GIGLIO, Italy - Italian emergency officials are ending the search for missing people in the submerged part of the Costa Concordia cruise ship due to the danger to rescue workers.

Italy's Civil Protection agency said Tuesday that technical studies indicated the deformed hull of the ship created too many safety concerns to continue the search within it. Relatives of the missing and diplomatic officials representing their countries have been informed of the decision, it said in a statement.

A spokeswoman for Civil Protection, Francesca Maffini, stressed that the search for the missing would continue wherever possible, including on the part of the ship above the water, in the waters surrounding the ship and along the nearby coastline.

Special Section: Italian Cruise Disaster
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The Concordia ran aground off the Tuscan island of Giglio on Jan. 13 when the captain deviated from his planned route and struck a reef, creating a huge gash that capsized the ship.

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Luxury cruise ship runs aground

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Some 4,200 passengers and crew were on board when it capsized. Seventeen bodies have been recovered, of which one has not yet been identified. Sixteen people are listed as missing but are presumed dead. The last time anyone was found alive was Jan. 15.

Italian authorities had already begun shifting their focus from finding the missing to preventing an environmental disaster. The ship contains about 500,000 gallons of heavy fuel and other pollutants, and fears are growing that those pollutants could spill out, damaging a pristine environment that is home to dolphins, whales and other marine life.

Franco Gabrielli, the head of Italy's civil protection agency, has it could take a full seven to 10 months once a contract is awarded to remove the 950-foot-long ship, raising deep concerns among residents who make their living from fishing and tourism.

34 Photos

Inside the Costa Concordia wreck

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Only once the fuel is pumped out — a monthlong process — can salvage work begin on removing the ship, either floating it in one piece or cutting it up and towing it away.

That means the damaged ship, or at least parts of it, will still be off the coast for the summer tourist season.

Residents of Giglio have been circulating a petition to demand that officials provide more information on how the full-scale operations can coexist with the important tourism season. At the moment, access to the port for private boats has been banned and all boats must stay at least one mile from the wrecked ship, affecting access to Giglio's only harbor for fishermen, scuba divers and private boat owners.

"We are really sorry, we would have preferred to save them all. But now other needs and other problems arise," said Franca Melils, a local business owner who is promoting a petition for the tourist season. "It's about us, who work and make a living exclusively from tourism. We don't have factories, we don't have anything else."

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9 Comments +

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by ajaynejr January 31, 2012 5:08 PM EST

They need to re-open the port to general use and boating and let life go on as usual. The wrecked ship can itself be a tourist attraction, tour operators don't have to get that close to it.

Reply to this comment

by ProgressNow January 31, 2012 10:46 PM EST

My you sure are the optimist aren't you...always a silver lining in your little world.

by indygirl87 January 31, 2012 3:13 PM EST

I am so very sorry for all of those families with loved ones still missing. You will be in my thoughts and prayers, along with the families of those who have confirmation of their passing. As a mother, my heart bleeds for the mom of little Dayanna... I can't imagine losing a child, let alone not have the opportunity for closure. God bless those who risked their lives searching~ this had to be very dangerous and emotionally heartbreaking work. Special prayers to the family of the crew members that actually stayed on the ship and tried gave their lives trying to save passengers. I hope they can find some comfort in that fact. I have watched several of the youtube videos from the passengers and have made some observations... As someone who has loved to cruise, I was struck by the fact that many of the passengers were unable to communicate with the crew. It seems to me that this is poor management- you can't put blame on housekeeping staff... Anyone who has been on a cruise knows that these people are worked to the very limit. The owners, upper management, as well as ranking officers should have trouble sleeping... My God have pity on their souls~ they will need it.

Reply to this comment

by meatrex1 January 31, 2012 2:39 PM EST

Never leave a man behind.

Reply to this comment

by Forty-Four January 31, 2012 1:23 PM EST

It is about time. Now, the workers can work on raising the ship, THEN they can resume the search....when it is safe, and easier to go through. Plus, they won't have to worry about running out of air.

Reply to this comment

by nadelio January 31, 2012 11:19 AM EST

The captain sure knew what he was doing.....

Reply to this comment

by BuffaloBillie January 31, 2012 11:11 AM EST

It's unbelievable to me that Smit can't get the oil pumped out much faster than a month. Perhaps the Carnival Line is not opting for more ships to do the litering due to the costs. The price tag for a spill of this magnitude will make the costs of extra boats look like one piece of dust in a tornado.

There are all sorts of "heavy-lift" vessels available that could be used to remove the ship once the oil is offloaded.

So far as Jame-_V's comment is concerned, it is a tragedy but it's extremely dangerous having divers inside the ship and whomever is still in it is now deceased for sure.

Reply to this comment

by Jame-_V January 31, 2012 10:27 AM EST

This is an outrage, the families of the victims demand at least 2 more years be spent searching for the bodies.

Reply to this comment

by pak31 January 31, 2012 4:36 PM EST

They are going to drain the oil out and then start taking the ship apart, then they will find the rest. If one of my relatives were still in there I would not want another person to die just to find their body. It wouldn't be worth it.

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[ajaynejr]

They need to re-open the port to general use and boating and let life go on as usual. The wrecked ship can itself be a tourist attraction, tour operators don't have to get that close to it.

[ProgressNow]

My you sure are the optimist aren't you...always a silver lining in your little world.

[indygirl87]

I am so very sorry for all of those families with loved ones still missing. You will be in my thoughts and prayers, along with the families of those who have confirmation of their passing. As a mother, my heart bleeds for the mom of little Dayanna... I can't imagine losing a child, let alone not have the opportunity for closure. God bless those who risked their lives searching~ this had to be very dangerous and emotionally heartbreaking work. Special prayers to the family of the crew members that actually stayed on the ship and tried gave their lives trying to save passengers. I hope they can find some comfort in that fact. I have watched several of the youtube videos from the passengers and have made some observations... As someone who has loved to cruise, I was struck by the fact that many of the passengers were unable to communicate with the crew. It seems to me that this is poor management- you can't put blame on housekeeping staff... Anyone who has been on a cruise knows that these people are worked to the very limit. The owners, upper management, as well as ranking officers should have trouble sleeping... My God have pity on their souls~ they will need it.

[meatrex1]

Never leave a man behind.

[Forty-Four]

It is about time. Now, the workers can work on raising the ship, THEN they can resume the search....when it is safe, and easier to go through. Plus, they won't have to worry about running out of air.

[nadelio]

The captain sure knew what he was doing.....

[BuffaloBillie]

It's unbelievable to me that Smit can't get the oil pumped out much faster than a month. Perhaps the Carnival Line is not opting for more ships to do the litering due to the costs. The price tag for a spill of this magnitude will make the costs of extra boats look like one piece of dust in a tornado.

There are all sorts of "heavy-lift" vessels available that could be used to remove the ship once the oil is offloaded.

So far as Jame-_V's comment is concerned, it is a tragedy but it's extremely dangerous having divers inside the ship and whomever is still in it is now deceased for sure.

[Jame-_V]

This is an outrage, the families of the victims demand at least 2 more years be spent searching for the bodies.

[pak31]

They are going to drain the oil out and then start taking the ship apart, then they will find the rest. If one of my relatives were still in there I would not want another person to die just to find their body. It wouldn't be worth it.