Concordia anniversary offers little peace

Concordia anniversary offers little peace
By admin


One year on from the grounding of the Costa Concordia, which killed 32 people, the liner's disgraced captain continues to come under fire for failing to act.

Survivors and the families of the dead arrived on the Italian island of Giglio yesterday for a service to mark the first anniversary of the tragedy.

Their arrival coincided with fresh eyewitness accounts that the ill-fated vessel's skipper, Francesco Schettino, had remained dry and onshore as he watched the scene unfold, doing nothing as many of the town's inhabitants rushed to pull survivors from the water.

However, in an interview last week, Schettino insisted he was being treated "worse than Osama bin Laden" and, although he admitted abandoning ship, claimed he was waiting for helicopters to airlift the 4200 stranded passengers and crew.

But his assertions that he had guided the damaged vessel to safety after colliding with the reef off Giglio before boarding a lifeboat were disputed by Giglio's deputy mayor Mario Pelligrini who told The Times that he had climbed aboard the ship to help with the rescue at around 11, with Schettino nowhere to be seen.

Formal charges are expected to be laid against eight crew and on-shore staff next month, with Schettino considered most culpable by prosecutors.

Meanwhile, Concordia's wreckage remains in the water, an ongoing reminder of the tragedy. It is unlikely to be removed before the end of the year.

It was the largest ship to be lost worldwide in 2012 – a year which counted 106 ship losses to November 25 2012, according to Allianz.

The insurance firm's Safety and Shipping Review showed the figure marks an increase on the previous year's tally of 91 ships, but remains 27% lower than the 10-year average of 146 ship losses per annum.

It highlighted human error as the "root cause" of most incidents.

Latest News

  • Aviation

Low-cost Indian carrier SpiceJet continues to burn cash

It’s not just low-cost Australian carriers that are facing hardship. SpiceJet, India’s version of Bonza, recently announced a 72 per cent reduction in its net loss versus last year. But, despite this improvement, the airline has posted losses for six straight years. But it has secured board approval to raise up to INR 30 billion […]

  • Attractions

SAKA Museum recognised in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places 2024

AYANA Resort Bali’s newly-opened cultural and events centre, SAKA Museum has been recognised in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places list for 2024. Part of AYANA Bali’s resort destination, the museum integrates Bali’s rich history with state-of-the-art facilities, making it the centrepiece for the island’s spiritual and cultural heritage. TIME magazine’s inclusion of SAKA Museum in […]

  • Cruise

Silversea taps Barbara Biffi as senior vice president for global sales

Ultra-luxury and expedition cruise travel brand, Silverseas, has announced Barbara Biffi as its new senior vice president of global sales. Biffi joined the company in 2007, holding numerous positions and gaining a deep understanding of the brand, the preferences of its guests and its strategic goals, the company said. An Italian national with a wealth […]

  • Technology
  • Travel Agents

Amadeus welcomes FCM Travel as new reseller partner of Cytric Easy

Cytric Easy, the travel management tool embedded in Microsoft Teams, is to be integrated into FCM Travel portfolio. Amadeus and FCM Travel have extended their Cytric distribution agreement to include Cytric Easy. With this new agreement, global travel management company FCM Travel, becomes a reseller of the innovative travel management collaboration solution embedded into Microsoft […]