Italian Cruise Ship Accident

The luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia ran aground off the coast of Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012, sending water pouring in through a 160-foot (50-meter) gash in the hull and forcing the evacuation of some 4,200 people from the listing vessel.

 

The Italian operator of the Costa Concordia has accused the ship's captain, Francesco Schettino, who is in custody, of causing the accident, saying he made an 'unapproved, unauthorised manoeuvre' to divert the vessel from its programmed course.Captain Francesco Schettino's behaviour is said to be under close scrutiny as he faces accusations since he abandoned the vessel before ensuring all of the 4,200 people aboard were safely evacuated.The ship's Italian owner, a subsidiary of Carnival Cruise lines, issued a statement late Sunday saying there appeared to be 'significant human error' on the part of the captain, Francesco Schettino, 'which resulted in these grave consequences'.It said in a statement: 'The route of the vessel appears to have been too close to the shore, and the captain's judgment in handling the emergency appears to have not followed standard Costa procedures.According to the Italian navigation code, a captain who abandons a ship in danger can face up to 12 years in prison.

Carnival PLC, the owner of the capsized boat, saw its share price plummet by around a fifth

29 Still Missing

Authorities had said 16 people were missing. But Italian coastguard official Marco Brusco said last night that 25 passengers and four crew members were still unaccounted for four days after the ship struck a reef and capsized. The missing included 14 Germans, six Italians, four French, two Americans, one Hungarian, one Indian and one Peruvian.

Death Toll Rises to Eleven

The bodies of five more passengers(Four men and one woman, in their 50s and 60s)have been found in the wreckage of the Costa Concordia taking the confirmed death toll to 11.

 

Divers have blown holes in the ship above and below the water line so that they can get to previously inaccessible sections

 

Scattered furniture in a dining room deep inside the vessel shows how difficult the search effort is

Indians in the Italian Cruise ship

There were a total of 203 Indians were on board the ill-fated ship - one passenger and 202 crew members. Of them, 201 Indians were rescued and one is missing.After the rescue, one Indian had decided to stay back. 15 out of the 200 Indians rescued from ship were flown to New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport in an Emirates flight.

Divers Suspend Search of Capsized Italy Liner

 

Divers searching the capsized Italian cruise liner Costa Concordia suspended work on Wednesday after the vast wreck shifted by more than a metre, delaying plans to remove the oil from the liner to prevent a possible environmental disaster.

5 days after the 114,500 tonne cruise ship struck a rock and capsized off the picturesque Tuscan island of Giglio, hopes of finding anyone alive have faded and salvage experts are preparing to pump 2,300 tonnes of fuel from the hulk.
11 people are confirmed dead and 22 are still missing from more than 4,200 passengers and crew aboard when disaster struck the Concordia two hours into a week-long cruise of the western Mediterranean.