US, UK ratify treaty to protect Titanic wreck

LONDON: Britain on Tuesday hailed a new treaty with the United States that seeks to protect the wreck of the Titanic from damage by explorers and tourists.

The remains of the ship lie largely intact 2.5 miles (four kilometres) below the surface of the north Atlantic Ocean, after it hit an iceberg in 1912. But there have been growing concerns about visitors taking artefacts, leaving rubbish and even placing plaques in memory of the 1,500 people who died.

An international treaty to limit access was signed by Britain in 2003 but only ratified by the United States in November last year. During a visit to Belfast in Northern Ireland, where the Titanic was built, British maritime minister Nusrat Ghani said it was a "momentous agreement".

It meant the site "will be treated with the sensitivity and respect owed to the final resting place of more than 1,500 lives", she said, according to a government statement. "The UK will now work closely with other North Atlantic States to bring even more protection to the wreck of the Titanic." Built by Harland and Wolff, the Titanic was the largest and most luxurious passenger vessel of its time and described as "unsinkable".