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World remembers Titanic tragedy

April 15, 2012

The world has been marking the 100th anniversary of the most famous disaster in maritime history, the sinking of the Titanic. More than 1,500 people lost their lives in the tragedy.

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Bow of the wrecked Titanic under water
Image: dapd

Services took place on both sides of the Atlantic on Sunday to remember the sinking of the "indestructible" cruise liner Titanic 100 years ago to the day.

Passengers held a minute's silence on board the deck of MS Balmoral, which has been retracing the route of the voyage across the North Atlantic. Floral wreaths were thrown into the water at the site where the ship went down.

In Belfast, where the Titanic was built, a memorial garden with all the victims' names was unveiled during a commemorative service. Thousands had attended a memorial concert held a day earlier.

Last wireless signal

At 12.27 a.m. (0527 GMT) on Sunday, in the Canadian port city Halifax - the starting point from which ships sailed to retrieve bodies from the water - silence was observed to mark the exact time when the last wireless signal from the ship was received on April 15, 1912.

The Titanic - the world's largest and most luxurious ocean liner - struck an iceberg at 11.40 p.m. local time on April 14, 800 kilometers (500 miles) southeast of Halifax, and took less than three hours to sink.

The ship was traveling from England to New York. Its sinking is the most famous maritime disaster in history and has been repeatedly dramatized in cinema and  television.

Events to mark the anniversary also took place in cities including Las Vegas, San Diego, Houston and Singapore.

rc/tj (AFP, AP, dpa)