GIGLIO, Italy (AP) — A civil protection official says the enormous cruise ship that tipped over off the coast of Tuscany is stable and there is no risk it will drop to a lower seabed.
Franco Gabrielli also said Monday that the search for people missing in the disaster and the removal of some half a million gallons of fuel from the ship can proceed in tandem.
A firefighter spokesman says the search and rescue mission will continue until it is completed, despite health concerns for divers posed by decomposing food.
Thirteen people have been confirmed dead in the accident Jan. 13 when the Concordia rammed a reef and sliced its hull with 4,200 on board. Nineteen are known missing.
