Saturday, January 14, 2012

Cruise Ship Runs Aground in Italy

The Costa Concordia, a 2,300 passenger cruise liner, ran aground on the island of Giglio off the  coast of Tuscany late Friday night (1/13).  Three bodies have been recovered and as many as 50 people are reported missing.  Some of the missing may have made their way to the island, as the ship is lodged only 300 yards off shore.

Passengers heard a loud bang and reported a power blackout around 10:30 PM, and then the ship ran aground on Giglio, tearing a 150 ft gash in it's hull.  The ship is lying virtually on it's side just outside the harbor, as seen in the photos.  Compare to a Google Maps shot of the harbor where you can see the green and red lighthouses in the photo above.

The Captain has been placed under arrest from manslaughter and abandoning the ship.  Passengers describe a nightmare scenario of being trapped in a dark ship in a disorienting position, with water rushing in through the hole in the side.  Apparently, the list of the ship made it impossible to launch the lifeboats.  The Captain reported that the ship hit a rock in waters that should have been safe:
"As we were navigating at cruise speed, we hit a rocky spur," he told Tgcom24 television station:   "According to the nautical chart, there should have been sufficient water underneath us," he added.
Let's just say I have my doubts, although I personally know of a number of small errors on navigational charts.

The crew and passengers of the ship far outnumber the inhabitants of Giglio, with a population of approximately 1,000, and local resources were strained to handle the ship's refugees.

The rescue effort was aided by calm winds and light seas, and involved a number of rescue boats and helicopters.

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