Concordia will stay on rocks for 10 months

The Costa Concordia cruise ship will take up to 10 months to remove from Italy's coast, officials said yesterday, as rough seas forced the suspension of the recovery operations.

The start of operations to remove 500,000 gallons of fuel was called off, as well as the search for people still missing, after the vessel was found to have moved 4cm in six hours.

A 17th body, identified as a Peruvian crew member, Erika Soria Molina, was found yesterday. Sixteen crew and passengers are still missing, with one body not yet identified. Officials have virtually ruled out finding anyone alive more than two weeks after the Concordia hit a reef.

Only once the fuel is removed can work begin on removing the ship.

AP