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My thoughts persistently drift to the 32 individuals whose lives were unjustly claimed by the cruise wreck, a cruise ship disaster Italy will never forget. The impact of the fatalities, including those termed as Costa Concordia fatalities, resonates beyond mere statistics; it is a narrative of lives cut short and dreams left unfulfilled. The unfolding hours saw a flurry of life-saving efforts as cruise ship Concordia’s latest news reported how crew members and locals exemplified extraordinary courage.
Accidents and incidents
But the experts -- two admirals and two engineers -- also note that evacuation drills had not been undertaken by all passengers on the ship and not all crew members understood Italian, the operating language of the liner. “The sooner we can resolve it, the sooner the victims can get on with their lives, they can put this behind them. We are anxious to do that, but not so anxious to compromise on our will to change the industry for better standards,” John Arthur Eaves, Jr., an Alabama-based lawyer representing several American survivors of the disaster, told NBC News. Prosecutors blamed a delayed evacuation order and conflicting instructions given by crew for the chaos that ensued as passengers scrambled to get off the ship. It will also honour the 4,200 survivors and the residents of Giglio who took in passengers and crew, offering clothes and shelter until passengers could return to the mainland.
Survivors, salvage workers and locals: the lives changed by Costa Concordia
"Everything happened really fast. Everybody tried to get a life boat and people started to panic. A lot of people were falling down the stairs and some were hurt because things fell on them. Captain Schettino will remain free in the meantime; under Italian law, the appeals process can take years to resolve. His lawyers had argued that it was a collective failure of the ship's crew and others should share the blame for the disaster. Four other crew members and an executive from the ship's owner Costa Crociere, the biggest cruise operator in Europe and part of the US giant Carnival, have already plea-bargained and been convicted on lesser charges. A Dutch tug boat and a Vanuatu-flagged one will then tow the 290-metre (951-foot) vessel away around 1000 GMT, while 12 other boats will sail in a convoy alongside, carrying divers, engineers, a medical team and environmental experts.
Costa Concordia: Italian tragedy that reflected state of a nation
With Giglio Island lying in a protected marine area, environmental issues relating to the Concordia wreck were of particular concern. The vessel was on the edge of an underwater cliff, leading to worries that the ship might slip and break apart, causing an oil spill. To lessen any potential damage, oil booms were placed around the wreckage, and in February 2012 salvage workers began removing more than 2,000 tons of fuel; the undertaking was completed the following month. Dozens of cruise ships, out of commission during the pandemic that brought tourism and demand for trips on the massive liners to a halt, have been docked off Italy's coasts for a year and a half. It’s easy to remember the salacious details of the disaster – the Concordia cruise disaster, if you will – but as a witness and chronicler of these events, my focus has always returned to the environmental impact.
Criminal proceedings against officers
Precision sensors attached to the sides of the ship will monitor for possible cracks in the crippled hull, while underwater cameras will watch for debris washing out of the vessel amid fears toxic waste could spill into the sea. “You find a consistent pattern of a lack of discipline on crew training, on the design of the vessel, on the communication problems. This captain made a horrible mistake, but we are not going to save lives if we don’t change the standards in the whole industry, not only of this particular captain,” Eaves said. It is alleged Schettino was in command when he steered the gigantic ship too close to Giglio coastline, allegedly to perform a maritime salute to grant a favor to the ship’s head master, who was originally from the island. Schettino is one of nine people facing charges, although eyewitnesses, leaked audio and video recordings, a pre-trial report and even the liner’s owners, Costa Crociere (a subsidiary of Miami-based Carnival), appeared to put the blame squarely on him.
Costa Concordia Disaster: How Many People Died in the Cruise Ship Incident? - ComingSoon.net
Costa Concordia Disaster: How Many People Died in the Cruise Ship Incident?.
Posted: Wed, 20 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
I was working and publishing news items to our forums and the home page of Cruise Addicts. Sadly, this incredibly poor narrative is not fiction but a real-life catastrophe constructed by a myriad of poor choices. Rose Metcalf, a dancer who had been performing on the ship, was one of the last people to be winched to safety by a helicopter after clinging to the stricken vessel.
The ramifications of Captain Schettino’s decisions on that doomed voyage endure, as poignant lessons in accountability ripple through communities and industries worldwide. Her maiden voyage in July 2006 foreshadowed what was meant to be a long-standing Mediterranean staple. The Costa Concordia, a haven of lavishness with sumptuous offerings, including four swimming pools, a casino, and a colossal spa, set the gold standard for luxury cruising. The seven-day Mediterranean sojourns quickly became iconic, treating guests to the enchanting shores of Italy, France, and Spain. Rescue teams searched for survivors and helicopters evacuated the last 50 people on the deck.
Costa Concordia disaster
The disgraced commander, who was dubbed “Captain Coward” after it emerged that he abandoned the sinking ship even as hundreds of panicking passengers awaited rescue, was not present for the reading of the verdict by a panel of three judges. My involvement in the Costa Concordia scrapping process allowed me to witness first-hand the sophistication and the scale of operations required to counteract the damage. Approximately 500 international salvage experts collaborated on what would become a historic mission, utilizing advanced underwater platforms and cranes to parry further environmental injury. The Costa Concordia wreck site resonates with a quiet that belies the intense dramas once played out on its decks.
He then delayed an evacuation order until it was too late, with lifeboats unable to lower because the ship was listing too heavily. Schettino argued that he fell into a lifeboat because of how the ship was listing to one side, but this argument proved unconvincing. In 2015, a court found Schettino guilty of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck, abandoning ship before passengers and crew were evacuated and lying to authorities about the disaster.
Two nearby tugboats worked to guide the ship away from the dock after the captain immediately reported the engine failure but failed. The Costa Concordia was owned by Costa Crociere, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & PLC. When launched in 2005, it was Italy’s largest cruise ship, measuring 951 feet (290 metres) long with a passenger capacity of 3,780; by comparison, the Titanic was 882.5 feet (269 metres) long and could accommodate up to 2,435 passengers.
The captain, Francesco Schettino, is serving a 16-year prison sentence for manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning a ship before all the passengers and crew had evacuated. The hospitality of the tight-knit community of islanders kicked in, at first to give basic assistance to the 4,229 passengers and crew members who had to be evacuated from a listing vessel as high as a skyscraper. In no time, Giglio residents hosted thousands of journalists, law enforcement officers and rescue experts who descended on the port. In the months to come, salvage teams set up camp in the picturesque harbor to work on safely removing the ship, an operation that took more than two years to complete. Costa Concordia was declared a "constructive total loss" by the cruise line's insurer, and her salvage was "one of the biggest maritime salvage operations".
Reflecting on the Costa Concordia as it stands now, the remnants of the once majestic cruise liner continue to captivate and serve as a poignant emblem of a maritime catastrophe. The Costa Concordia wreck site evokes powerful emotions and is steeped in environmental concerns. After the Concordia ship sank, intensive efforts were necessary to secure the area and prevent further harm to the fragile marine ecosystem. Accused of causing the wreck by maneuvering the colossal vessel too close to Giglio Island for a display of acknowledgment known widely among mariners as a maritime salute, Costa Concordia Schettino was also censured for abandoning the afflicted ship. Delving into the details of Schettino’s conduct before and after the collision reveals multi-faceted insights into the harrowing event. The Italian cruise ship crash changed the physical landscape and the lives of all involved.
An Indonesian helmsman, for instance, failed twice to understand orders, veering to the right instead of the left as he was told by Schettino, who joked he should pay closer attention or “we will go on the rocks,” only minutes before they dram aground. Video taken by passengers at the time showed scenes of chaos and confusion as the Costa Concordia started to list heavily. "It was just said in court that musicians on board had more safety training than other crew members," Eaves told NBC. As befitting a star attraction, the captain arrived Monday at the makeshift courthouse through the back door in a car with darkened windows.
The Costa Concordia tragedy occurred on January 13, 2012, when the cruise liner struck a reef and began to sink. The luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia was owned by Costa Cruises, an Italian cruise line company. The night of this tragic event happened in real time for me as the news broke here in the United States.
The aftermath did not just account for the salvage and inquiry but also witnessed sweeping reforms aimed at fortifying maritime protocols. As a result, the cruise ship that sank in Italy in 2012 has been a catalyst for revised safety standards that Carnival and other cruise lines have diligently implemented, often surpassing the basics to ensure such catastrophes are not repeated. The echoes of the Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster are still heard in the survivors’ stories. Harrowing tales of passengers leaping into the frigid sea or being guided down darkened chord ladders resonate with a chilling reminder of the night’s terror.
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