Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia hit a reef and partially sank on 13 January 2012 off the Italian coast. The vessel ran aground at Isola del Giglio, Tuscany, resulting in the evacuation of 4,211 people on board.
At least six people were killed, including five passengers and one crewman, 64 others were injured (three seriously), two passengers and a crewmember trapped below deck have been rescued, and 15 are still unaccounted for. The captain and first officer have been arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter after sailing much closer to the shore than allowed.
Largest Passenger Shipwreck in History
The Costa Concordia entered service for Costa Cruises in July 2006 as the largest ship built in Italy at the time, measuring 114,500 GT, 290.2 metres (952 ft) long, and costing €450 million (US$569 million). It is the largest passenger shipwreck in history. Industry analysts believe the vessel is a constructive total loss.
Smit Involved in Salvage
When the search for survivors and bodies is completed, Dutch salvage firm Smit International will remove the vessel’s fuel as requested by the ship’s owner and insurer. Smit has also offered to remove the wreckage of the Costa Concordia, but the owner has not contracted any firm for this.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Concordia_disaster[Wikipedia]
Picture: Collision of Costa Concordia (picture by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Collision_of_Costa_Concordia_11.jpg[Roberto Vongher])
