Cruise Liner Costa Concordia Aground in Italy - 30 Dead & 2 Unaccounted For

[MuffyBee]

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/02/12/fuel-removal-begins-on-italian-cruise-ship-costa-concordia/
Fuel removal begins on grounded Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia
February 12, 2012

Underwater pumping operations began Sunday to remove some of the 500,000 gallons of fuel aboard the Costa Concordia, officials said, nearly a month after the cruise ship ran aground off Tuscany.

After nearly two weeks of delays because of rough seas and bad weather, the pumping got under way on the first of 15 tanks that are believed to hold around 84 percent of the fuel on board, Italy's civil protection department said.

Officials say it will take 28 consecutive days of pumping to empty the tanks.

Dutch shipwreck salvage firm Smit is overseeing the operation, along with an Italian partner.

The fuel extraction process involves fixing valves on the underwater fuel tanks, one on top, one on bottom. Hoses are attached to the valves and as the oil -- which must be warmed to make it less gooey -- is sucked out of the upper hose, sea water is pumped in to fill the vacuum via the lower hose.

"We expect the next five days to be good weather, and we will work 24 hours a day to pump out the fuel," said Bart Huizing, Smit's salvage master. He said operations would initially focus on the six tanks in the front part of the ship where about 62-65 percent of the fuel is located.

"Hopefully by the end of the week we will have the majority out," he told The Associated Press in Giglio.
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[MuffyBee]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/12/costa-concordia-video-crew-panicking?newsfeed=true
Costa Concordia video shows crew joking, then panicking
Video aired on Italian TV shows crew saying 'we'll make it' as boat starts to tilt
Tom Kington in Rome
February 12, 2012

A video has emerged showing crew members joking then panicking as the Costa Concordia capsized, shedding light on events on board the stricken cruise ship after it hit rocks on 13 January.

The clip, aired on Italian TV at the weekend and apparently shot on the bridge, shows employees joking "we'll make it" as the cruise ship gradually lists in shallow water after being holed by rocks onoff the island of Giglio.

Then a passenger falls into the water and crew members shout in panic as they struggle to release lifeboats and fight to stop a heavy metal gantry smashing into one boat.

An earlier section of the video, which was previously aired on Friday, appears to show the ship's captain, Francesco Schettino, shrugging off the fate of passengers and saying "whatever" when told they were taking to lifeboats even though no order to do so had been given by the bridge.

Growing unease among officers is evident when one says: "What shall we do?"
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[sharon]

   

The onboard structure is very military like in terms of there are rules and responsibilities and a hierarchy and strict chain of command with severe consequence.

The crew were really helpless to advise passengers differently than the the bridge was instructing. Although the previous article confirms that there were crew who joined with passengers to begin the evacuation before the order was given.

I do not know what emergency 'go back to your cabins and await further instruction' is a response to, but IMO, it should not be the response for a vessel taking on water.

I don't know when - or if - I would have disobeyed the captain.

So sad. didn't have to be

[MuffyBee]

   

The onboard structure is very military like in terms of there are rules and responsibilities and a hierarchy and strict chain of command with severe consequence.

The crew were really helpless to advise passengers differently than the the bridge was instructing. Although the previous article confirms that there were crew who joined with passengers to begin the evacuation before the order was given.

I do not know what emergency 'go back to your cabins and await further instruction' is a response to, but IMO, it should not be the response for a vessel taking on water.

I don't know when - or if - I would have disobeyed the captain.

So sad. didn't have to be

It had to be very difficult not only for the passengers, but also for the crew. 

[MuffyBee]

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/4124879/Brave-rescue-divers-of-Costa-Concordia.html
'Most drowned bodies are in swimsuits. This one was in an elegant dress'
Amazing courage of Costa
Concordia's rescue divers
February 13, 2012

Photos at Link

[MuffyBee]

http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=152770
Amended Complaint Filed By Costa Concordia Plaintiffs
Plaintiffs’ attorneys will hold a Press Conference February 14 upon filing of Amended Complaint.
February 13, 2012

[MuffyBee]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/relatives-of-missing-concordia-crew-and-passengers-mark-1-month-anniversary-of-ships-disaster/2012/02/13/gIQAmbF1AR_story.html
Relatives of missing Concordia crew and passengers mark 1-month anniversary of ship’s disaster
February 13, 2012

GIGLIO, Italy — Tossing bouquets of red roses into the sea, the relatives of people still missing one month after the Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster mourned in a private tribute Monday.

The family members boarded a small boat that took them 50 meters (yards) from the stricken cruise ship, which struck a reef Jan. 13 off the Tuscan coast when its captain made an unauthorized maneuver. Seventeen people died while trying to flee and 15 remain missing and are presumed dead.
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[MuffyBee]

http://www.travelagentcentral.com/ocean-cruises/costa-extends-compensation-offer-deadline-33647
Costa Extends Compensation Offer Deadline
By Susan Young
February 14, 2012

Costa Crociere has extended the deadline for acceptance of its compensation proposal for guests involved in the Costa Concordia incident off the island of Giglio, Italy on Jan. 13. The new deadline is March 31, 2012.

The decision was taken to offer passengers more time to evaluate the proposal and to exercise their claims with less urgency.
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[MuffyBee]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/14/italy-shipwreck-florida-idUSL2E8DEBSF20120214
More shipwreck survivors sue Carnival, Costa
By Jane Sutton
February 14, 2012

[MuffyBee]

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/319640
Pumping out oil from Costa Concordia moving quickly
By Marcos Hondro
February 15, 2012

[MuffyBee]

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/248146/pinoyabroad/281-pinoy-crew-members-of-stricken-concordia-ship-get-2-m-in-benefits
281 Pinoy crew members of stricken Concordia ship get $2-M in benefits
February 15, 2012

Out of the 291 Filipino crew members of the Italian cruise ship "Costa Concordia" which ran aground and sank in January, 281 crewmen have received $2.048 million in benefits.
 
The Philippine Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said the claims of the 281 Filipino crew members have been settled following the DOLE's Single Entry Approach (SENA) conciliation-mediation program.
 
In a news release, the DOLE said its National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) reported that the 281 crew members received their checks, "ranging from a low of $553 to as high as $12,610."
 
"Ten claimants were still in the provinces and, therefore, have yet to appear at the NCMB offices to receive their checks," the DOLE said.
 
The amount given to the seafarers represents the claims of the seafarers for:

    the unexpired embarkation contract or "Contract Honour Compensation," and
    loss of personal belongings.

 
The DOLE said the average claim of an affected seafarer was pegged at $7,000.
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[MuffyBee]

http://www.marinelog.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1918:openletter12february2012j02&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=107
CLIA publishes open letter to assure public on cruise safety
February 12, 2012

Christine Duffy, CEO of the Cruise Lines International Asociation (CLIA) published an open letter on February 10 assuring the public of the industry's outstanding safety record and outlining some of the measures that the cruise industry has taken since the deadly Costa Concordia accident on January 13.

CLIA represents 26 cruise lines serving the North American market. Last year, more than 10 million North Americans took cruises.

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[MuffyBee]

This has gotta be a blow for  Captain Schettino's ego, for sure.  

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2101686/Costa-Concordia-captain-Francesco-Schettino-uniforms-sale-Italy.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
Now you too can be the most unpopular man in Italy... with the Costa Concordia's captain Schettino uniform
February 15, 2012

In the city famed for its avant-garde fashion, it makes for an unusual must have item of clothing.

But in the run up to the Milan Festival, the Costa Concordia captain Francesco Schettino costume is the in-demand garment.

During the annual event, which takes place in the days after Shrove Tuesday, Milanese dress up as a host of famous public figures.

And this year, the usual Silvio Berlusconi parodies have been dropped in favour of the man branded 'Captain Coward' for fleeing the sinking ship after it struck rocks off the island of Giglio in the Mediterranean last month.
More...
Photos at Link

[sharon]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/18/francesco-schettino-cocaine_n_1286374.html?icid=maing-grid7|maing7|dl3|sec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D136836

Costa Concordia Disaster: Francesco Schettino Hair Sample Showed Traces Of Cocaine On Outside Of Hair

ROME -- Lawyers for survivors of the capsized Costa Concordia cruise ship on Saturday pressed for new drug tests on the ship's captain after traces of cocaine were reportedly found on the outside of a hair sample.

But the consultant who did the analyses for prosecutors stood by results, which found no presence of the drug in urine samples or within the hair of Captain Francesco Schettino.

Italian consumer protection group Codacons is representing some survivors of the shipwreck of the cruise liner, which rammed a reef near a Tuscan island the night of Jan. 13. Under Italian law, those attaching civil suits to a criminal case must be informed of, and allowed to monitor, evidence and other developments in the probe.

Codacons said Saturday that some traces of cocaine were found on a hair sample and in an envelope containing the sample, but noted that a urine sample taken from Schettino and an analysis of the hair itself found no presence of the drug. It called that finding "very strange" and said it had asked prosecutors on Friday to order new testing to see if the samples might have been contaminated.

The Italian news agency ANSA quoted the forensic medical expert who carried out the toxicology test as dismissing Codacons' concerns about the external trace of cocaine.

The expert, Marcello Chiarotti, was quoted as saying the modest trace of cocaine "was a marginal problem that absolutely doesn't invalidate the results of the analysis" that found none of the drug inside the hair itself or in the urine. Traces of cocaine in the urine or inside the hair itself would have pointed to consumption.

The prosecutor's office in Grosseto, Tuscany, was closed Saturday, as was the law office of the attorney defending Schettino, who is under house arrest in his home near Naples while he is investigated for alleged manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning his ship. The lawyer could not be reached by cell phone.

But ANSA quoted the lawyer, Bruno Leporatti, as saying the test results yielded nothing new. "We have always been sure that Schettino didn't take drugs," the Grosseto-based lawyer was quoted as saying.

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[MuffyBee]

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/02/19/lawyers-for-costa-concordia-request-new-drug-tests-for-cruise-captain-after/
Lawyers for Costa Concordia survivors request new drug tests for cruise captain after reports of traces of cocaine
February 19, 2012

ROME –  Lawyers for survivors of the capsized Costa Concordia cruise ship on Saturday pressed for new drug tests on the ship's captain after traces of cocaine were reportedly found on the outside of a hair sample.

But the consultant who did the analyses for prosecutors stood by results, which found no presence of the drug in urine samples or within the hair of Capt. Francesco Schettino.

Italian consumer protection group Codacons is representing some survivors of the shipwreck of the cruise liner, which rammed a reef near a Tuscan island the night of Jan. 13. Under Italian law, those attaching civil suits to a criminal case must be informed of, and allowed to monitor, evidence and other developments in the probe.
More...

[MuffyBee]

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/8422074/concordia-operator-says-victim-of-miscarriage-scam
Concordia firm says victim of miscarriage scam
February 19, 2012

Italian cruise ship operator Costa Crociere said Friday it was taking legal action against a woman who falsely claimed to have suffered a miscarriage as a result of the Costa Concordia tragedy last month.

"The company has confirmed that neither the woman nor her husband was on the Costa Concordia's guest list," Costa Crociere said in a statement, referring to a couple who had asked for 1.0 million euros ($1.3 million) in damages.

Costa Crociere said it "intends to file a complaint with the legal authorities and that it will take similar action in response to any similar scams or attempts at profiteering in the wake of the Concordia tragedy.
More...

[MuffyBee]

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57381083/two-thirds-of-costa-concordia-fuel-removed/
Two-thirds of Costa Concordia fuel removed
February 19, 2012

(AP)

ROME - The first phase of fuel removal from the capsized cruise ship Costa Concordia has been completed off Italy's coast.

Italy's civil protection agency, which is monitoring the operation, said all fuel had been removed by Sunday evening from the tanks in the front part of the ship.

Those tanks held roughly two-thirds of the fuel.
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Fuel removal from less accessible tanks in the rear of the ship will follow, but choppy seas predicted for Monday could delay the start.
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[MuffyBee]

http://maritimematters.com/2012/02/costa-concordia-conversations/
COSTA CONCORDIA Conversations
By Shawn Drake
February 19, 2012

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Meanwhile, new information continues to surface with regards to communications between the ship and Costa headquarters immediately following the wreck.  Costa Crociere CEO, Pier Luigi Fosci gave testimony in a hearing before the Italian Senate stating that Captain Francesco Schettino did keep the company informed of events during the 73-minutes between the ship’s grounding at 9:42 pm and the order to evacuate at approximately 10:55 pm.   Previously, Fosci stated that the captain contacted Costa’s shoreside operations at 10:05 pm but they could not assess the gravity of the situation because the captain’s conversation provided only vague information which “did not correspond to the truth.”  In the new testimony, the first call was placed at least eight minutes earlier to Costa’s head of marine operations, Roberto Ferrarini.  At least six calls were made before the order was given to abandon ship, with the line receiving updated information as events progressed.  Pier Luigi Foschi’s testimony included these excerpts:  “At 9:57,  Schettino said he had a huge problem on board, that a blackout was in course, that there wasn’t any electrical current.  He told Ferrarini that he hit a rock.  In that first call, the commander said that only one compartment was flooded.  In a second call, at 10:06, the captain reported the flooding of a second compartment but said the ship’s ability to float ‘wasn’t compromised.’”  Earlier at 9:49 pm, the Italian Coast Guard contacted the ship after being alerted through calls from passengers to shore.  “Concordia, we are calling to ask if everything is okay?”  Captain Schettino replied, “Yes, it’s just a technical thing.”  At 10:12 pm, the Coast Guard called again and was told “It’s all okay, it’s just a blackout, we’re taking care of the situation.”  Captain Schettino again contacted marine operations at 10:16 pm and continued his discussion with Mr. Ferrarini regarding “the size of the breach,” Foschi said and between 10:33 and 10:35 pm, Schettino informed Ferrarini the vessel was listing and that he planned to abandon ship.  The information provided by Pier Luigi Foschi was from a memorandum prepared by Ferrarini detailing the conversations with Captain Schettino.

While the new testimony does not absolve the captain of any wrongdoing, it does show that he was at least communicating the situation to the company, if not to the Coast Guard.  The most damning exchange of conversations that evening came much later at around 12:42 am, when Captain Schettino was already in a lifeboat.  The following is a complete transcript of the four-minute call from Italian Coast Guard Captain Gregorio De Falco to Captain Francesco Schettino.
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(See transcript at link)

[MuffyBee]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-carnival-legaltre81k06j-20120220,0,1008292.story
Insight: Laws leave cruise-ship victims at sea
February 21, 2012

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The cruise business - led by industry giant Carnival Corp. & PLC, whose Italian subsidiary owned and operated the doomed Costa Concordia - has put in place over the years a legal structure that ring-fences operators from big-money lawsuits.

The rules for seeking redress are spelled out in complex, multi-page ticket contracts that passengers may not receive until right before boarding. Victims are often required to file suits in remote jurisdictions. The wording has been the subject of decades of court battles.

Thomas Dickerson, a New York state judge who has written extensively on travel law, says the legal hurdles resulting from the industry's victories over the years give operators the upper hand in litigation and make the business highly profitable. The industry faces "fewer payouts because of all the roadblocks," he said.

Cruise industry officials say their contracts streamline the litigation process, prevent frivolous claims and lower cruise costs for passengers.

In the case of the Costa Concordia wreck, the ticket contract stated that "all claims, controversies, disputes, suits and matters of any kind whatsoever ... shall be instituted only in the courts of Genoa, Italy."

Many survivors are now discovering the challenges of the Italian court system.

Italian lawyers rarely accept cases on a contingency basis, so clients may have to pay them up front to take a case. And personal-injury cases can drag on for years, especially if there is a parallel criminal investigation. The Costa Concordia's captain is under investigation for allegedly abandoning ship. That probe must be completed before evidence will be made available to plaintiff attorneys in civil cases, said Alexander Guttieres, a Rome lawyer who has litigated major personal-injury cases.

"I've done cases that took seven years and are not nearly as complicated" as the Costa Concordia case, he said.
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[MuffyBee]

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57382551/divers-find-8-more-bodies-on-costa-concordia/
Divers find 8 more bodies on Costa Concordia
February 22, 2012

(CBS/AP)

ROME - Divers searching the capsized Costa Concordia cruise ship found eight more bodies Wednesday, including that of a missing 5-year-old Italian girl, authorities said.

Italy's national civil protection agency, which is monitoring the operation off a Tuscan island, earlier reported the discovery of four bodies. An additional four were found later Wednesday. Because of worsening weather, only three of the bodies were immediately recovered, that of a woman, a man and a child.

It did not identify the two, but only one child's name was on the list of the missing, 5-year-old Dayana Arlotti. She was on the Mediterranean cruise with her father and his girlfriend. The girlfriend survived; the father is listed among the missing.
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