Saturday, 14 January 2012

Couple rescued from submerged ship Costa Concordia


The South Korean couple were rescued from the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia early on Sunday

Two passengers have been found alive on the submerged cruise ship Costa Concordia, more than 24 hours after it ran aground off the Italian coast.
The South Korean couple, who were on their honeymoon, were found in a cabin, but 40 more of the 4,000 on board are still believed to be missing.
The captain of the Costa Concordia has been detained for questioning, as police investigate why the accident happened in calm conditions.
Three people are so far confirmed dead.
Two French passengers and a Peruvian crew member died, and another 30 people were injured, two seriously.
The South Korean couple was located after rescuers heard voices from a cabin two decks down on the half-submerged ship late on Saturday, and they were reached a few hours later.
The man and woman, about 29 years old, were both said to be in good condition when they were brought ashore.
Meanwhile, divers are continuing to comb submerged parts of the ship, which is lying on its side close to a coastal island.
The vessel, which is operated by Costa Cruises, had sailed from Civitavecchia near Rome on Friday on a regular weekly Mediterranean cruise when it ran aground.
South Korean man is brought ashore after being rescued from Costa Concordia, 15 Jan 2012The South Korean man was brought ashore on a rescue boat, after being found with his wife
The president of Costa Cruises, Gianni Onorato, said the main task for the company was now to assist survivors and help repatriate them.
He said it was difficult to determine what had happened, but that the ship had experienced a blackout after hitting "a big rock".

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There was panic, like in a film, dishes crashing to the floor, people running, people falling down the stairs”
Fulvio RocciSurvivor
Mr Onorato added: "We will be working in full transparency with Italian authorities" to understand the causes of the disaster.
He said normal lifeboat evacuation had become "almost impossible" because the ship had listed so quickly.
Francesco Schettino, the 52-year-old captain, had worked for Costa Cruises for 11 years.
The chief prosecutor in the city of Grosseto told reporters that Capt Schettino "very ineptly got close to Giglio", according to Italy's Ansa news agency.
A large gash can be seen in the hull of the Costa Concordia as it lies on its side about 200m (650ft) off Giglio island.
Shaken
Italian, German, French and British nationals were among the 3,200 passengers on board. There were also 1,000 crew.
Those who died include two French passengers and a Peruvian crewman.
Coast guard captain Cosimo Nicastro told Italian TV that divers had carried out an extensive search of the waters near the vessel and found no further bodies.
Some passengers were rescued by lifeboat, helicopters plucked to safety some who were trapped on the ship, and others jumped from the ship into the cold sea.
A school and private homes took in the passengers and crew. On Saturday the survivors were taken by ferries to Porto Santo Stefano on the mainland, about 25km (15 miles) away.
many arrived there still wrapped in blankets, and some were clearly very shaken by what they had endured.
Passenger Luciano Castro told Ansa news agency: "We heard a loud noise while we were at dinner as if the keel of the ship hit something."
"The ship started taking in water through the hole and began tilting."
The luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia lies on its side after running Giglio island, Italy, 14 JanuaryA big search-and-rescue operation continued overnight
Some passengers told the Associated Press news agency that the crew had failed to give instructions on how to evacuate the ship.
Titanic comparisons
Another survivor, Mara Parmegiani, told Italian media there were "scenes of panic".

Costa Concordia

  • Entered service in 2006
  • Built by Fincantieri in Italy at a cost of 450m euros (£372m; $570m)
  • Capacity for 3,780 passengers
  • 1,500 cabins, five restaurants and 13 bars
  • Four swimming pools
  • A 6,000 sq m (64,600 sq ft) spa with gym, sauna, Turkish bath and solarium
  • Sports pitch, cinema, theatre, casino and disco
Source: Costa Cruises and cruise industry websites
"We were very scared and freezing because it happened while we were at dinner so everyone was in evening wear.
"We definitely didn't have time to get anything else. They gave us blankets but there weren't enough," she said.
Several passengers compared the accident to the film Titanic, about the sinking of the giant ocean liner in April 1912 which claimed more than 1,500 lives.
The precise number of those who remain unaccounted for is unclear.
Late on Saturday local official Giuseppe Linardi said up to 41 people were missing.
He said some might still be housed in private homes on Giglio.
About 40 people are being treated in hospital.
"I can easily understand the comparisons to the film, how it must have been on the Titanic, or in a fiction film," passenger Francesca Sinatra said.
Some "tens" of British passengers are believed to have been on board, said the UK Foreign Office, which has sent a team to the area.
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