Titanic anniversary marked in Belfast

On the anniversary of the maritime disaster, the city where the famous White Star Line vessel was built commemorated the more than 1,500 crew and passengers who lost their lives.

The Titanic sank in the Atlantic in the early hours of April 15 1912 after striking an iceberg on its maiden voyage.

Relatives of some of the victims gathered at the Titanic Memorial Garden in the grounds of Belfast City Hall to pay tribute.

Deputy Lord Mayor Councillor Sonia Copeland laid a wreath at the memorial centrepiece of the garden.

"The tragedy of the Titanic is very close to home for the people of Belfast," she said.

"Many of our citizens were on board when she went down and are remembered by relatives who have gathered with us to mark this occasion.

"The ship was one of our finest, built by local craftsmen and was hailed across the world for her top-class design and engineering.

"The tragedy cast a cloud on our city and it says much for our resilience that we have found a way to deal with the loss, building a memorial garden and a new Titanic Quarter of which we can all be proud."

Aidan McMichael, chairman of the Titanic Society, said: "The tranquillity of the Titanic Memorial Garden at Belfast City Hall continues to offer residents and visitors alike an opportunity to unite and consider the human tragedy associated with the loss of Titanic, not just for the relatives of those who were lost but for everyone locally.

"The Belfast Titanic Society is proud to be associated with this annual Titanic commemoration in conjunction with Belfast City Council."