The rescue operation aboard the Costa Concordia has been suspended once again after the wreck shifted on the sea ledge on which it rests.

It is the third time the search has been called off, amid fears the ship could suddenly slip into deeper water.

Choppy waters have been hampering the work of rescue teams and weather conditions are expected to worsen.

Earlier, a video emerged showing the crew of the stricken vessel assuring passengers nothing was wrong.

In the amateur footage, a crew member says "everything is under control" and asks passengers to go to their cabins despite the fact that the cruise ship had begun taking in water.

It is thought the delay in deciding to abandon the ship may have cost lives.

At least 11 people died after the Costa Concordia ran aground off Italy's coast exactly a week ago with some 4,200 people on board.

Twenty-one people are still missing, and hopes of finding any of them alive are fading fast.

bbc.com