Costa Concordia the Final Journey

Costa Concordia
Giglio to Genoa

Approvals have been given for the salvage team, directed by Titan Micoperi, to commence one of the final stages in the salvage of the Costa Concordia.


Refloating To Begin

Refloating stages

The refloating operation will be divided into 4 separate stages. The refloat will be complete when the greatest possible amount of water has been pumped out of the sponsons and the ship is virtually parallel to sea level.

• Stage 1: Partial refloating and eastward movement of the wreck 
• Stage 2: Attachment and tensioning of the chains and cables and final positioning ofthe starboard sponsons
• Stage 3: Actual refloating - At this stage the actual refloating will commence
• Stage 4: Final maneuvers and departure of the ship from the island

Salvage experts will conduct the refloating operations from the Remote Operations Center (ROC) located on the Concordia. The monitoring systems will be handling the ballast in the sponsons and guaranteeing vessel stability, trim and the even distribution of the forces acting on the hull.

UPDATE:  22 JULY 2014 Today, Costa Concordia departs from Giglio on its final voyage. A convoy of several tugs and support vessels has begun the slow journey from Giglio to the final port call for Costa Concordia in Genoa, Italy  where it will be dismantled and sold for scrap. We have followed this story since that fateful Friday the 13th in 2012.  This final journey, will take about 4 days as the convoy proceeds at about 2 knots, roughly the speed of walking.   Here are some images and stories which we have found on the web.   Most interesting may be how Giglio gets back to "normal" whatever that means.   It was a small town that was not very well known until it became center stage with a global audience watching.    CNN:  How do islanders feel about the Costa Concordia departing? The answer may surprise you: http://cnn.it/1A4XoTq  Costa Concordia Begins Its Final Voyage http://on.wsj.com/1nV1nrO  via @WSJphotos  In Focus: Final Voyage of the Costa Concordia - 30 photos of the 30-month salvage operation - http://goo.gl/cYFUyi  pic.twitter.com/rPuE5DTKtT gCaptain.com: Track Costa Concordia Live – AIS MAP http://goo.gl/fb/z68mz4   15 Spectacular Photos of the Refloated Costa #Concordia… And she's off! http://gcaptain.com/15-spectacular-photos-of-the-refloated-costa-concordia/ … pic.twitter.com/J4ze421wpo

  


This video shows the refloating phases of Costa Concordia salvage operations (limited hours of operation)


Once it is afloat, the wreck will be ready for transportation to its final destination, namely the
Port of Genoa Voltri.  Two possible courses have been selected with the actual course determined by conditions at the time of towing commencement.  The course pictured above, courtesy of Titan Micoperi, would cover 208 nautical miles.  The second course would be slightly shorter.

Costa Concordia Live Web Cam Links: 
 http://costaconcordiawebcams.com/

The Parbuckling Project: Concordia wreck removal project informative website Main article: Costa Concordia Listing after Deadly Accident  Re-floating Concordia    Courtesy: Parbuckling Project UPDATE 03 July 2014: Costa Crociere: installation of all sponsons completed, ten days to possible refloating Genoa, Italy has been selected to receive the vessel for salvage “Following installation of the last sponson, we can start the countdown to refloating and final departure of the wreck from Giglio Island,” said Costa Crociere CEO Michael Thamm. “Now all our energies are focused on the successful conclusion of this unprecedented engineering challenge to respect a precise commitment: remove the Concordia wreck as soon as possible, in compliance with the highest environmental and safety standards.” Watch footage from Italian police divers in the sunken ship just before it is scheduled to be towed:  Inside Costa Concordia Now & Before

Costa Concorida Vertical

Concordia Upright Courtesy Parbuckling Project

19 Hour Project Completed

“The parbuckling operation has been successfully completed,” the Parbuckling Project’s official website said in an understated announcement at about 4 a.m. local time. “The wreck is now upright and resting safely on the specially built artificial sea bed, at a depth of approximately 30 meters.”

Shortly after 4 AM local time in Giglio, Italy,  there were shouts and claps for joy followed by the sound of a horn piercing the night's silence as the Costa Concordia reached full vertical.   Thanks to the marvels of modern technology, the ship was raised to this position and we were able to watch live on the internet.

There was joy amongst the workers of course, but there is also sorrow knowing that lives were lost on this very spot.  In fact, there are still 2 missing bodies that were never accounted for.   Prior to the parbuckling, there were hopes that those bodies would be found.  So far that has not been the case.

The entire parbuckling operation took 19 hours, longer than expected due to weather delays and stoppages dues to technical difficulties.   The final phase went quickly as gravity provided assistance.

COVERAGE FROM AROUND THE NET:

In this article, Yahoo has a collection of images that are emerging as daylight falls upon the now vertical Costa Concordia.   There are some amazing images, just as there were immediately following the tragedy 20 months ago.

They've Turned Over The Costa Concordia And The Pictures Are Nuts

In this BBC article, there is a time-lapse video of the parbuckling.  There are also several pictures from the morning after.   The night image didn't show the extent of the damage to the side of the vessel but that is made clear in daylight.  There is also graphics showing how the process was completed.

Costa Concordia: Stricken ship set upright in Italy (BBC)

Our article from yesterday has links to the official Parbuckling Project site and other useful information.

Parbuckling of Costa Concordia Begins

Parbuckling of Costa Concordia Begins

Dark Line on Costa Concordia Shows Movement  Source: Chicago Tribune
Watch Live

This image extracted from a live video of Costa Concordia's Parbuckling Procedure, which began today in Giglio, shows the slow process of righting the vessel.  The actual process started around 9 AM this morning after a storm delayed the start.

Related Links:

Attempt to right Costa Concordia cruise ship begins (USA Today)
Graphic on How Costa Concordia will be Raised

The Parbuckling Project: Concordia wreck removal project informative website

The overall project is 77% completed and is being carried out by a crew of 474 workers and 28 vessels and crafts on site. For a video and additional details of the salvage operation, see Costa Concordia Salvage Begins.

Main article: Costa Concordia Listing after Deadly Accident 

Updates from Parbuckling Website:       Multimedia Content

Please Note:   During the actual operations (daytime hours local Giglio time) you may experience problems accessing the Parbuckling Project's website.  It is best to view off-hours.

16 Sep 2013  4.20 P.M. The wreck side has been successfully dislodged from the reef by applying a maximum load of 6,000 tons (in line with forecast), thanks to the force exerted by the strand jacks operating the system of winches and steel chains.  The wreck has now rotated 10 degrees and will need to rotate at least as many before it has completed the first 20 degrees with reference to the initial position which is the approximate point at which the intake valves of the 11 sponsons attached to the port side of the hull reach sea level.

In the meantime the whole parbuckling system is being monitored constantly, with continuous checks – for example – of the condition of the strand jacks and chains, etc.

7.00 P.M.:The Titan Micoperi consortium announced that strandjack operations were temporarily suspended for an hour for maintenance work. It was in fact necessary to intervene with a dedicated team to avoid slack cables from interfering with the tensioned cables. The ‘Fast Response’ team is comprised of 8 people ready to intervene for checking purposes or in the event of anomalies. As foreseen by the operating and site procedures, access onboard was via a specifically positioned ladder, and safety checks were carried out. The team who intervened are all qualified to work on the wreck, are equipped with climbing gear and protective devices as necessary. Parbuckling operations have now resumed.

  Follow us on Facebook for Updates to this ongoing story.  We'll post links to images, videos, and news stories from various sources.

Costa Fined - No Criminal Charges in Italy for Concordia

Costa Cruises has made a €1 million ($1.3M) plea bargain settlement with an Italian court to limit its criminal liability for the capsizing of the Costa Concordia last January with the loss of 32 lives.  This move means that Costa Cruises will not face any more criminal charges and will now aim to participate in the forthcoming trial as an injured party opening the door for the company to seek damages for the loss of the ship.

A judge in Tuscany accepted the plea agreement for Costa Crociere, a division of Carnival Corporation in connection with the shipwreck off the island of Giglio in January 2012. 

Legal proceedings will continue Monday with a hearing to determine whether six of the line’s employees including Concordia captain, Francesco Schettino, and Mr Ferrarini, the company's crisis management chief.  Captain Schettino is expected to be indicted for multiple charges including manslaughter and abandoning ship before his passengers.

Although Costa Cruises has paid only €1 million in order to limit its criminal liability, the civil costs will be very much higher.  Costa still faces civil lawsuits by the relatives of passengers who drowned while trying to flee the ship, as well as by survivors who have turned down the firm’s starting offer of about €11,000 per person in compensation. Italian consumer group Codacons had advised passengers to reject the offer and instead called for a €125,000 minimum for each passenger.There has been at least one seven figure settlement already to the youngest victim of the shipwreck, a 5 year old boy.

Meanwhile, salvage operations continue off the cost of Giglio.   By late summer it is hoped that the ship will be floated off the rocks.

For Complete Coverage of this tragedy see the following blog post:

Costa Concordia Listing after Deadly Accident

Costa Concordia Anniversary

The Costa Concordia on Italy's Giglio island on Saturday.
Maurizio Brambatti / European Pressphoto Agency (January 12, 2013)

Still Submerged ...
One Year Later

Off the coast of Giglio Island in Italy lies the submerged hull of Costa Concordia.  It is a stark reminder of the events of that fateful night in mid January when Captain Francesco Schettino did a sail-by as he had done many times before.  This time, there would be human error and other factors contributing to the disaster.

32 lives were lost and countless lives altered in a matter of a few hours.   The ship, crew, and others are now the subject of investigation and court proceedings as well as a $400M salvage operation that is behind schedule.   It appears that the wreckage won't be removed completely until this Summer.

Reliving the Tragedy

As the anniversary approaches, the media has been interviewing survivors getting their thoughts about the events of that January night.  For some, it brings tears once again as they remember lost family and friends or perhaps the ordeal that they themselves went through.

Memorial Service      
           

(More CNN Coverage of Anniversary)

Meanwhile, as Giglio prepared for a religious service Sunday to mark the anniversary, including the release of 32 airborne lanterns to mourn the dead, Costa Crociere has told survivors among the 4,200 passengers and crew to avoid the island out of respect for those who died. The company says that there would not be enough space on the island to accommodate all the survivors of the wreck.

We're sure that the company meant well by making those remarks, but it hasn't sat well with the families who are trying to deal with the tragedy one year later.

We hope that the families and friends are able to find some comfort on this one year anniversary.   Please remember the survivors and those that died in your thoughts and prayers today.

Anchor Blog Article:  Costa Concordia Listing after Deadly Accident

Costa Concordia Nearly One Year Later

Credit: Roberto Vongher  courtesy Wikipedia

 The Grim Reminder

Salvage of the Costa Concordia continues one year after the deadly accident where 30 people lost their lives during what should have been a routine sailing past Giglio, Italy.

As the ship lays on it's side, 60 Minutes visited the ship for a close up look at the salvage activities. They used special drone cameras, barges, small vessels, and several other cameras to capture the onboard experience almost a year later.

Watch this video to see some highlights of their visit.
A 60 Minutes crew delved inside the wrecked Costa Concordia to bring the first look
inside the cruise liner since it sank in January last year, killing 32 people.
More coverage from CBS News:   Costa Concordia: Salvaging a shipwreck


Impact of the Tragedy 

The clock onboard Costa Concordia is frozen in time reflecting the moment when the ship lost power. Earlier that day, passengers were anxiously awaiting the start of their holiday at sea as they boarded the ship. Little did they know that for some of their fellow passengers, these were some of their final moments here on earth.

There are many tangible and intangible impacts of this accident. Obviously, there's the cost of the rescue and salvage operations, the medical, funeral, and insurance costs to families and cruise lines. The rescue and salvage costs are proving to be much larger than even predicted several months ago. The ecosystem off this Italian coastal community has suffered losses that can't easily be measured.

Costa Cruises and parent company, Carnival Corporation were at the forefront of the industry losses, but the impact was far reaching and continues to have an impact as measures are taken across the industry to put additional safeguards in place.

For the families directly impacted by the loss of loved ones or injuries, there is emotional costs in addition to the tangible expenses. It is hard to imagine the grief that they feel. Even this article will bring back memories for those that were traumatized by the event. Our heart reaches out to all that were impacted.

Moving Forward

The cruise industry has an excellent safety record, even counting this accident and that of the Titanic one hundred years earlier.   As mentioned, CLIA, and other international over-seeing bodies, have conducted investigations and made recommendations for safety improvements as a result of the accident. We can perhaps take some solace that out of the darkness emerged some good as a result.

The industry held its breath wondering what the reaction would be by the cruising public.   It turns out that those that have sailed before, continue to sail, and many new passengers have experienced a cruise for the first time since that chilly day in January last year.  There is a large percentage of the population (close to 80%) that still hasn't cruised, so the cruise lines continue to expand their inventories to accommodate the expected growth.

There will undoubtedly be a resurgence in press coverage as we get closer to the actual anniversary.  We will continue our coverage and attempt to find representative information to share with you.

Anchor Blog Article:  Costa Concordia Listing after Deadly Accident

Expert Findings Released on Costa Concordia

Costa Concordia & Lifeboats    Courtesy Wikipedia Commons

Expert Panel

Reports Findings

Concordia Tragedy

The panel of experts, that were appointed by the Italian courts to review evidence in the events of the January 14th tragedy which took the lives of 32 people, have released their findings to the court.   A 270 page document was filed with the court on Tuesday and published by Italian media on Thursday.

Captain, Crew, & Costa Cruises to Blame

As expected, the primary blame for the tragic accident falls on Captain Schettino, who has already been condemned in the media as "Captain Coward" and other names. He is charged with several counts including negligent homicide, causing a shipwreck, and abandoning ship before the complete evacuation of the 4,200 passengers and crew. He claims he was commanding the situation from the life boats and denies any wrongdoing.

In the report, the panel also puts blame on the crew for "blunders, delays and security breaches that contributed to the disaster". Early reports from passengers had indicated that the crew was disorganized during the evacuation, which seems to validate the findings.

Costa Crociere, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation plc, is accused of "delaying the emergency alert sent to coastal authorities". In a statement, Costa placed the blame on Francesco Schettino, the ship’s captain: "It is also clear from the records that the communication made by the Master to the crisis department were on the whole not timely, partial and confused, not allowing it to scale a clear perception of the seriousness of what was actually happening."

In response to allegations that the crew was inadequately trained, Costa said: “The alleged defects in the certifications of some of the crew concern only a few individuals who are not key to emergency management”.

A court hearing is scheduled for October 15th to determine if the captain and any of the co-defendants should be put on trial. 

Continuing Coverage

Salvage operations are underway to remove the ship from the coastline of Giglio, Italy.  That operation, which began in June, will last about a year according to current estimates.

We continue to follow all the events around this tragic accident in our anchor article:

Costa Concordia Listing after Deadly Accident

Concordia Captain Freed from House Arrest

Captain Francesco Schettino, Captain of the Costa Concordia when it ran aground off the coast of Giglio, Italy, was released from house arrest by Italian judges on Thursday.  He no longer has to remain confined to his home in Meta di Sorrento near Naples but must remain in the town.

Schettino is accused of multiple counts of manslaughter, causing the accident, and abandoning ship prematurely. 

He would also no longer be bound by the strict conditions of house arrest, which prevented him from communicating with anyone apart from his lawyer and close family. The judges' ruling said that the period Schettino had spent under house arrest had already had a deterrent effect and he would remain under adequate supervision by authorities.

Related:
Costa Concordia Listing after Deadly Accident

Costa Concordia Removal Plans

Removal Contract Awarded 
 Refloat & Tow Concordia

Costa Concordia Salvage Begins

Costa Crociere and the Costa Concordia Emergency Commissioner's Office announced that the tender for the removal of the ship from Giglio Island has been awarded to Titan Salvage in partnership with the Italian firm Micoperi. The work will begin in early May subject to final approval from the Italian authorities and is expected to take about 12 months.

Titan Salvage is an American-owned specialist marine salvage and wreck removal company, part of the Crowley Group, and is a world leader in its field. Micoperi is a well-known Italian marine contractor with a long history as a specialist in underwater construction and engineering.

Main Objectives:

• Minimal risk
• Minimal environmental impact, 
• Protection of Giglio's economy and tourism industry
• Maximum safety of the work

"We are very pleased to announce another important step toward salvaging the wreck from Giglio Island," said Costa Crociere S.p.A. Chairman & CEO Pier Luigi Foschi. "As was the case with the removal of the fuel, we have sought to identify the best solution to safeguard the island and its marine environment and to protect its tourism. We would like also to thank Smit Salvage and Tito Neri for succeeding in defueling and caretaking operations."

Salvage Crew Based in Civitavecchia 

The plan also includes measures to safeguard the island of Giglio's tourism and wider economy. Salvage workers' presence will not have any significant impact on the availability of hotel accommodation on the island during the summer season. The main operating base will be located on the mainland at nearby Civitavecchia, where equipment and materials will be stored, thereby avoiding any impact on Giglio's port activities.

Once floated, the wreck will be towed to an Italian port and dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the Italian authorities.

Costa Crociere, Carnival Corporation & plc, London Offshore Consultants, and the Standard P&I Club formulated the plans by reviewing  bids from six companies. The Titan Salvage/Micoperi proposal best fulfilled the main objectives stated above. Once the main work is complete, the sea bottom will be cleaned and marine flora replanted.

Overall updates of the Costa Concordia disaster are being made on the following blog post:   

Costa Concordia Listing after Deadly Accident

Costa Concordia One Month Later

Rescue operations: Salvage and rescue operations on the Costa Concordia 

have been faced with a new obstacle after snow fell on the west coast of 

Italy at Giglio island                                                                Credit: Reuters

Costa Concordia In Memorium

May they Rest in Peace

Today in the Tuscany village of Giglio island, people gathered for a memorial service honoring the victims and missing of the Costa Concordia accident.  To date, 17 victims have been found and 15 are still unaccounted for and presumed lost.  One month later, it is fitting to pause and remember all the victims of this tragedy.

Family members, of people still missing, boarded a small boat that took them 50 meters from the stricken cruise ship, where they tossed bouquets of red roses into the sea.

Among family members at the scene of the tragedy was Susy Albertini, the mother of 5-year-old Dayana Arlotti, who was traveling with her father William, who is also missing. Kevin Rebello, the brother of a missing waiter from India, also attended, as did the families of missing French and German passengers.

One month later, they have not given up hope. "I haven't lost hope yet, anything can still happen, a miracle. He may be injured, he may have lost consciousness, anything may have happened. I still have hope, I always have hope, hope is the last thing to die," Rebello said. "I hope I will find him as soon as possible, to bring him home."

"The feeling that has always been with me during these 30 days and today is sorrow. Sorrow for those who died, for those who are missing," said the Rev. Lorenzo Pasquotti. 

On Sunday, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, and other senior officials, attended a memorial mass in Rome for the victims of last month's shipwreck of the Costa Concordia. The mass in the central Basilica of St Mary of the Angels was presided over by the secretary general of Italy's Catholic episcopal council, Bishop Mariano Crociata.

 

What should have been a happy evening January 13th for more than 4,200 people, quickly turned to sadness as the ship sailed by in salute to the people of Giglio and struck the rocky coastline.  It began to fill with water from the gash torn into the hull.  After much confusion, the order was finally given to abandon ship.

Ongoing Updates - we continue to provide updates on significant developments

Costa Concordia Listing after Deadly Accident 

Costa Concordia Fuel Removal

The World Watched

Through the miracles of modern technology, we had a front row seat for the unfolding story of the sunken cruise liner.  Rescue workers braved the chilly Mediterranean waters and put their lives on the line to try to find missing passengers and crew.   Images and video emerged showing real-time footage of everything from passengers waiting to abandon ship, to the aftermath with all the activity in the port.

Captain Francesco Schettino, who was in command of the vessel,  has come under fire for his actions during the crisis.  Among those vivid images we saw the captain arrested and taken away by Italian authorities.   Since that time, he has been put under house arrest and has begun answering questions posed to him by the court.   He has already been "tried and convicted" in the court of public opinion and even Costa Cruises has distanced itself from him.

Hampered by Bad Weather

Search and rescue operations began once the abandoned ship order was given and continued around the clock for days.   In the middle of the second week following the accident, the weather changed, making it hazardous for rescue operations to continue.   About the same time, there  was growing concern that the fuel oil could contaminate the pristine Tuscany waters and preparation activities began to remove the fuel.  The actual start of the fuel extraction didn't occur until yesterday, nearly  a month since the tragedy.

The bad weather halted further searches for bodies. There are 15 people still unaccounted for and presumed to have perished in the accident.   Identification and notification of the remains that were recovered was difficult in most cases.  

For the families of the remaining victims, there is no closure.  It was just announced that the family of missing Minnesota couple, Gerald and Barbara Heil, plan to hold a memorial for them next weekend to celebrate their life.  

Untold Stories

There are many untold stories from the events that started a month ago today.   Over time, the truth will hopefully come out explaining what went wrong.   More importantly, measures will be put in place to prevent something like this from happening ever again.

National Geographic premiered Italian Cruise Ship Disaster: The Untold Stories  last night which weaves accounts of the tragedy from passengers, crew members and the Coast Guard and features never-before-seen video and CGI to reconstruct the ship's sinking as it happened.  An encore presentation of the documentary will be aired tonight at 10 PM Eastern.

In the days and months ahead, we will learn more about this event and the heroism that was exhibited by the various emergency responders.  In all of our lives there are historic events that stand out and are remembered.  Ask an American, who was alive at the time, where they were when President Kennedy was shot or where they were on 9/11, and they can tell you.  This too will be remembered.

Today, we pause to remember

Underwater Footage - Images Costa Concordia

Images Tell the Story

You've heard the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words.   Today, we decided to let some pictures tell the story that is still unfolding in the frigid Mediterranean waters off the coast of Giglio, Italy.

To be honest, we've never even heard of the village of Giglio before the Costa Concordia accident.  Although we've been to the Mediterranean, that wasn't on our tinerary, nor was it for the passengers of the Concordia.  

When the story of 2012 is told in pictures,  these images will undoubtedly be among those.  We'll let them tell their story...


First pictures inside Costa Concordia following the tragic accident .  Several areas of the ship are shown, including before and after pictures of the restaurant, as crews start to explore the ship for survivors and victims.




Here is amazing footage from the search and rescue operations being carried out by the Italian Navy. It is in Italian, but you don't need a translation to understand the effort involved here. We salute the brave crews who are still working to account for all the passengers and crew of the Costa Concordia.

More Photo Galleries

Costa Concordia rescue effort - in pictures

Incredible rescue efforts 

Costa Concordia Fuel Removal

Video Links:
Click for a video explanation

Preparations Underway to Salvage Fuel from Costa Concordia

Upon becoming aware of the evacuation of Costa Concordia, SMIT approached the owners and underwriters of the Costa Concordia bidding  for the salvage contract.

Click for Continuing Coverage (below)

Oil Removal Briefing - Click Here for Details

SMIT has an extensive track record relating to marine emergency response, refloating stranded vessels and wreck removals. In the days following the accident, a contract was awarded by the Owners to SMIT and local partners Tito Neri for the removal of the bunker oil and pollution control.  

The estimated amount of bunkers in the vessel is 2200 MT of IFO (intermediate fuel oil), 185 MT of MGO (marine gas oil/diesel) and lubricants, distributed over 17 tanks.  We have seen conflicting reports of the amount of fuel.  The latest number we have seen involves 13 double-bottomed tanks and 10 single-bottom tanks.  

In the days following the accident, a contract was awarded by the Owners to SMIT and local partners Tito Neri for the removal of the bunker oil and pollution control.

24 January - Preparation Begins

Following a press conference held by the authorities yesterday on the island of Giglio, which was also attended by representatives of Costa Cruises and SMIT Salvage, it was stated that SMIT Salvage would be allowed to commence with the preparations for the oil removal today.  The work will be done in tandem with the search and rescue efforts.   Click for Continuing Coverage (below)

The Process

• SMIT Salvage placed its work/crane barge Meloria, pictured above, alongside the Costa Concordia.
• Divers from SMIT Salvage will then inspect parts of the underwater ship and make the necessary preparations to remove the fuel from the ship. 
• Next stage will be the drilling of holes in the fuel tanks and the installation of valves by means of a hot tap. 

While the fuel has been submerged, it has become solidified.  A hot tap is used to heat the fuel back into a liquid state so that it can be extracted.  This process will take several weeks with current estimates at 4 to 6 weeks.

Precautionary Measures

• Double containment booms around the ship ( to concentrate oil in thicker surface layers so that skimmers, vacuums, or other collection methods can be used more effectively)
• SMIT has mobilized an oil tanker with emergency response equipment including sweeping arms, booms and a skimmer.   (to respond to any spill that might occur)

Ongoing Updates

Overall updates of the Costa Concordia search and rescue operations are being made on the following blog post:   Costa Concordia Listing after Deadly Accident

This post will provide updates on the fuel salvage operations.

Oil Removal Briefing - Click Here for Details

24 March - Removal Completed

This morning at 08.00 CET SMIT Salvage successfully completed its assignment on the removal of fuel from the Costa Concordia. Over the last couple of days, the SMIT Salvage diving team transferring HFO from the last settling tank in the engine room. Early this morning, the last tanks were completed, closed and sealed off.

The entire oil removal process which lasted just over one month went smoothly and was executed in line with expectations. Most of the diving and pumping equipment will be demobilized and brought back to Livorno onboard of the crane/work barge Meloria.

SMIT will retain a  small diving team and a diving foreman on the island under a so-called ‘caretaker contract'. The SMIT Salvage team will remain standby on the island for designated emergency duties until a contractor is appointed for the removal of the entire ship.

23 March - Oil Removed

2,400 tons of oil have been removed from the ship.  This process took five weeks to complete.   The ship still must be monitored for leaks and further cleanup efforts are pending, including the ultimate removal of the ship.   Six companies have submitted bids to Costa Cruises for the removal.

2 March - Double Bottom Tanks Completed

This afternoon the salvage team completed the discharge of Heavy Fuel Oil, Diesel Oil and Sludge from the Double Bottom Tanks. Weather permitting the crane barge Meloria will now be moved forward in her moorings in between the stabilizer and the large damaged area. An access hole will be created in the hull to allow the divers to enter the engine room spaces where the settling and service tanks are located.

Once the connections have been installed, the contents will be transferred to the offloading tanker. Thereafter the contents of the sewage tanks will also be pumped out of the ship.

23 February - Removal Progressing Well, Steady Pace

Salvage workers have extracted 1,300 cubic metres of fuel from six tanks, equivalent to two-thirds of the total on board.  Oil has been removed from all six forward tanks and the hoses, pumps and valves have been disconnected with the flanges sealed off. Following the successful oil removal from the forward ship, the crane barge was disconnected and brought back into the sheltered port on Monday morning. The fuel tanker 'Elba' into which the fuel was pumped has moved away from the Costa Concordia and a second fuel barge 'Magic Duba' is standby to replace the 'Elba'.

Since Monday, the wind and wave conditions have hampered the continuation of the oil removal process. As soon as the weather permits, the crane barge will be repositioned alongside the Costa Concordia. Based on the current planning, the mid-ship tanks containing MGO and two double bottom sludge tanks will have the next priority. These tanks will also be emptied using the hot tap method. Due to the unpredictable weather conditions, SMIT cannot provide an estimated date of completion.


13 February - Pumping Began Sunday

Yesterday afternoon, at 16.55, the first oil was removed from the Costa Concordia. In line with the presentation made on the January 28, the initial operation is focused on the forward fuel tanks. Currently four of the six forward fuel tanks have now been installed with a sealable flange. As operations continue, the remaining tanks will also be prepared.

The first tank which was connected to the pumps is relatively small and located on the port side of the Costa Concordia. The weather forecast for the coming days looks good and pumping will continue around the clock as long as the favorable conditions continue.

12 February - Removal Begins

Underwater pumping operations began Sunday to remove some of the 500,000 gallons of fuel aboard the Costa Concordia, after nearly two weeks of delays because of rough seas and bad weather. The removal operations will run 24 hours a day. The forecast for the next several days is favorable, so it is the hope of SMIT, who is running the operation, that the majority of the fuel in the forward tanks can be drained by week's end.This would represent about 60% of the fuel.

It will take approximately 28 consecutive days of pumping to empty the tanks.

28 January - Hot Tap Animation 


At a press conference held today on the island of Giglio, SMIT Salvage and its partner Fratelli Neri provided a technical briefing on the oil removal operation.  See Oil Removal Briefing - Click Here for Details

Two of the six forward fuel tanks have now been installed with a sealed flange and the remaining tanks were due to be prepared today. The six forward tanks are estimated to hold approximately two thirds of the (intermediate) fuel oil in the casualty.

Unfavorable weather once again played a role and the crane barge was disconnected from the casualty and brought into the protective port of the island Giglio.

25 January - Preparation Continues 


Divers from SMIT Salvage together with its partner Fratelli Neri have made significant progress:

• Inspected forward section of the submerged underwater part of the ship
• Marked the drilling locations of the heavy fuel oil tanks
• Installed second inner protection barrier (oil booms)

Installation of hot tap valves on the outer hull of the vessel and drilling of holes through the hull into the oil tanks must be done before pumping of the oil can commence.

Remembering the Costa Concordia Victims

Filippo Monteforte / AFP - Getty Images

Life-vest, rope and helmets recovered from the Costa Concordia are seen
during a mass celebrated on Sunday in the Isola del Giglio's church.

Remembrance Mass San Lorenzo Church

Giglio, Italy

Perched atop a hill overlooking the waterfront, The Lorenzo e Mamiliano Church became a safe haven for passengers of Costa Concordia, that had been rescued from the sinking ship on 13 January 2012.

Father Lorenzo tended to their spiritual and technological needs that weekend as he offered prayers and the use of his computer, so that families could contact love ones to tell them they were safe.

The Madonna recovered from the chapel of the Costa Concordia

One week later, Father Lorenzo once again offered prayers, during Sunday mass, for the victims of this terrible tragedy providing reassurance and comfort to the families still awaiting word about their loved ones.

It is fitting that this church sits atop a hill overlooking the port where Costa Concordia sits perched precariously on the rocky shore.  When people look up hoping for answers, they see this church, and can take comfort that God is still watching down on those that work tirelessly to find the remaining victims.

Many of the town's people of Giglio have opened their homes and hearts to the passengers and relatives who have unexpectedly converged on this tiny Italian village.  

This Madonna statue, rescued from the Costa Concordia, is another symbol of hope amidst this tragedy.  Mary's eyes seem to be looking into our very souls providing reassurance and comfort.

The sounds of the rescue continue to fill the air near the stricken ship while atop this hill, there can be a retreat from those sounds allowing for thoughts and prayers for the victims, families, friends, survivors, and anyone involved in this incident.

MAIN BLOG POST (Updated several times since the accident)

Costa Concordia Listing after Deadly Accident

Extraordinary Images and Efforts at Concordia Site

Rescue Divers inside Costa Concordia         Credit Sky News

Spill Guards in Place Giglio, Italy                  Credit Sky News

Haunting Images from Site of Costa Concordia Catastrophe

We continue our coverage of this extraordinary event by bringing you a selection of images that are equally extraordinary.  

Click for DigitalGlobe Image from Space

Click for Sky News Gallery 

USA TODAY Image Gallery

On Friday, 13 January 2012,  over 4,000 passengers and crew set sail from Civitavechia, Italy, on a Mediterranean voyage which would take their ship past the small village of Giglio.  The captain of their vessel decided to salute the town and some of its inhabitants, that had a tie to the cruise line, and sail close by to shore.   There was a rocky coast line, but since they were marked on his charts, he felt that they could safely be avoided.

He wasn't the first captain to do a sail-by like this, but unfortunately, human error or perhaps equipment failure turned a seemingly innocent maneuver into a tragic event. 

MAIN BLOG POST (Updated several times since the accident)

Costa Concordia Listing after Deadly Accident

Fighting Against Time and the Elements

Since late Friday night, a monumental rescue and recovery effort has been underway just offshore Giglio. Fortunately, the majority of the passengers and crew were safely evacuated, however as of this writing, 6 people have perished and 29 are unaccounted for.   As the hours progress, the chances of finding them alive diminishes. 

For the first day or so, the weather cooperated with the rescue workers and they were able to work non-stop, even in darkness.  Monday, that all changed as the seas picked up and a light drizzle fell.  All work had to stop when the ship shifted slightly.   The rescue efforts have resumed again, but now there is another concern.   A liquid leaked from the ship causing alarm that this could also turn into an environmental disaster.   Barriers are in place to contain any spill that may occur.

There remains 500,000 gallons of fuel onboard the vessel in 17 tanks according to Costa Cruises.  The mayor of Giglio and environmentalists anxiously await the removal of the fuel.   A salvage company has been employed by Costa Cruises to begin the fuel recovery once rescue efforts have been completed.  If the fuel were to be removed during the rescue efforts, the ship could slip again, increasing the danger of the operation.

Many Unanswered Questions

Why was the ship so close to shore?   Was it human error or faulty maps or equipment?   Why was the evacuation delayed?  Why did the captain leave the ship while evacuation was ongoing?  Was the crew adequately trained?  Were procedures ignored or do they need to be improved?

The "black boxes" have revealed some interesting facts already, making many wonder why the captain took various actions he did on that fateful night.   The investigation will provide answers.  Undoubtedly those in the wrong will be held accountable.  The industry will learn from these events and take corrective action, just as it did almost 100 years ago when the Titanic hit a very similarly shaped submerged object.

Please keep everyone impacted by this tragedy in your thoughts and prayers.  While the ship will ultimately be repaired, some lives will never be the same.   Our hope is that out of tragedy good will emerge.

Costa Concordia Listing after Deadly Accident

Click to view more images. (AP/Gregorio Borgia)

Costa Concordia

Runs Aground

in Italian Waters

3 Deaths Reported

Several Missing

UPDATED:  DEATH TOLL 30,  2 MISSING, PRESUMED DEAD

In this AP Photo, The luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia leans on the rocks after running aground the tiny Tuscan island of Giglio, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012, off the coast of Tuscany.  The incident tore a 160-foot (50-meter) gash in the hull, sending water through the opening, and forcing the evacuation of some 4,200 people from the listing vessel early Saturday according to the Italian Coast Guard.

It appears that the ship struck a rocky sandbar in shallow waters near the port town of Porto Santo Stefano, which is where the majority of the passengers and crew were taken in the evacuation.  According to passenger reports, they were at dinner when they heard a large noise and a blackout followed.  Passengers were running through the ship screaming and going to their cabins to get life jackets.   Despite crew attempts to keep things calm, it appears there was quite a lot of panic.  Some passengers jumped off the ship, reminiscent of the Titanic disaster which occurred 100 years ago this year. In this case, they could swim to shore, so it wasn't really a bad decision after all to jump.

Click for Continuing Coverage (below)

Wikipedia Page: Costa Concordia disaster

Related Posts: 

Carnival Corporation Official Statement On Costa Concordia

Statement from CLIA on Costa Concordia

Extraordinary Images and Efforts at Concordia Site 

Compensation Guidelines Costa Concordia (Updated 15 Feb)

Carnival Corp Taking Steps to Address Safety Concerns

Remembering the Costa Concordia Victims

Costa Concordia Fuel Removal (Ongoing updates)

Concordia Disaster Rekindles Venice Restrictions

Underwater Footage - Images Costa Concordia 

The Legal ABCs of the Costa Concordia Shipwreck (Peter Greenberg)

Costa Concordia Legal Update (Ongoing updates) 

Expert Findings Released on Costa Concordia

Costa Concordia One Month Later

Costa Concordia Removal Plans

Costa Concordia Salvage Begins

Parbuckling of Costa Concordia Approved 

Parbuckling of Costa Concordia Begins 

Costa Concordia Black Box

Costa Concordia Nearly One Year Later 

Costa Concordia Anniversary  

Costa Concordia the Final Journey

Captain Schettino Prison Sentence Set 

 Editor's note:  There's been a lot of comparison to the Titanic in the media, along with criticism for doing so.  We've made a reference here ourselves, not to the outcome or even the tilting, but to people jumping for their lives in panic, which is what people do in any scary situation where they feel out of control and just want to escape by any quick means.
It is also human nature to try to relate situations to others already stored in our memory banks.  We do this from our early moments in our lives when we start to understand.  Humans learn by comparison; it's what we do day in and day out.

ADDITIONAL LINKS in THIS BLOG  

Costa Concordia Facts           Cruise Industry Safety Record    

Mandatory Safety Drills         About Costa Cruises

UPDATE: 11 Feb 2015:

Captain Schettino was sentenced to 16 years and one month in prison for multiple counts of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship in the 2012 disaster that killed 32 people.

Captain Schettino Prison Sentence Set

UPDATE: 4 Nov 2014:

The remains of Russel Rebello, the final passenger not accounted for, were found in a cabin on Deck 8 in the wrecked ship, which is currently in Genoa, where it was moved to be scrapped, Italy's state-run ANSA news agency reported.

UPDATE: 13 Jul 2014:

Costa Concordia the Final Journey

UPDATE 03 Jul 2014:

Costa Crociere: installation of all sponsons completed, ten days to possible refloating 

 Costa Concordia Salvage Begins (updated)

Get a glimpse inside the sunken Costa Concordia and compare that with moments before she sunk in January 2012. 

Inside Costa Concordia Now & Before

UPDATE 16 Sep 2013:

Parbuckling of Costa Concordia Begins 

UPDATE 6 Sep. 2013

Parbuckling of Costa Concordia Approved

UPDATE: 17 July 2013

Concordia Captain's Trial Finally Underway

UPDATE: 9 July 2013

Trial delayed due to nationwide lawyers strike: Captain Schettino Gets Day in Court or Not

UPDATE: 11 Apr. 2013

Costa Cruises has made a €1 million ($1.3M) plea bargain settlement with an Italian court to limit its criminal liability for the capsizing of the Costa Concordia last January with the loss of 32 lives.  Full Details: Costa Fined - No Criminal Charges in Italy for Concordia

UPDATE: 13 Jan. 2013

One year anniversary of the tragedy.  A memorial service was held on the island of Giglio including the launching of 32 lanterns in memory of those that perished.

UPDATE: 11 Sep. 2012

A 270 page report prepared by the court-appointed panel of experts was filed with the court. The report blames the captain, crew and cruise line for the accident.  Full details: Expert Findings Released on Costa Concordia

UPDATE: 3 PM Eastern 23 Jun. 2012

Salvage operations have begun five months after the accident. The work will continue through the end of April, 2013, based on the schedule shared with the media by the American / Italian salvage team.    Read more...  Costa Concordia Salvage Begins

UPDATE: 4 PM Eastern 21 Apr. 2012

Costa Concordia will be refloated in one piece and towed.  The contract has been awarded and work will begin in May, lasting for about a year.  Read more... Costa Concordia Removal Plans

UPDATE: 4 PM Eastern 17 Apr. 2012

Five of the bodies recovered from the wreck site last month have been identified. Italian officials named Americans Barbara and Gerald Heil from Minnesota, Christina Matheson Ganz and Norbert Josef Ganz, both Germans, and Giuseppe Girolamo, an Italian citizen and member of the crew. At least 30 people died when the ship capsized, and two are still missing.

UPDATE: 4 PM Eastern 23 Mar. 2012

Five more bodies have been recovered from the wreckage bringing the total death toll to 30 with 2 more people unaccounted for. Workers completed the removal of 2,400 tons of oil from the ship's tanks this week, a delicate process that began five weeks ago. Six companies are bidding for the contract to remove the ship. The contract is anticipated to be awarded to the winning bid next month. It will be several months before the ship will be removed from its current spot on the rocks.

UPDATE: 4 PM Eastern 22 Feb. 2012

Eight bodies, including that of a young girl, were located on Wednesday by divers searching Deck 4 which is part of the submerged section of the ship. The girl found is likely to be Dayana Arlotti, a five-year-old Italian who was traveling with her father and his partner. Both father and daughter are missing. This brings the confirmed death toll to 25 with 7 additional people still unaccounted for.

Divers wore special protective wet suits to enter this area of the ship which had not previously been searched. "Because of closed doors it was hard to get to, and the water sealed inside the area was unsafe for divers in normal wetsuits and masks because of the chemicals, food and other remains trapped," according to a spokeswoman for the civil protection agency. The young girl and three other victims were removed from the ship on Wednesday; the other four will be removed on Thursday. A similar section on Deck 3 will also be searched.

Additional crew and Costa officials have been added to the list of people to be investigated as the investigation continues.

UPDATE: 9 AM Eastern 15 Feb. 2012

Fuel removal continues. The first small tank was emptied on 12 February and operations are continuing around the clock as the weather is still holding. A lawsuit, filed in circuit court of Miami, was amended to include a total of 39 passengers seeking more than US $528 Million in damages. This is not a class action lawsuit. See legal update blog article (link above) for more details.

UPDATE: 3 PM Eastern 12 Feb. 2012

Fuel removal operations finally began today after two weeks delay due to bad weather and rough seas. Focus of the current operation is on the six tanks in the front part of the ship where about 62-65 percent of the fuel is located.

Meanwhile, in a local memorial service, attended by Italy's president and the country's top bishop, there was a call for the truth of what transpired that night to come to light and for justice to be served.

"Let the light of the Lord help bring about truth and justice, let wounds be healed and let trust and courage for the future be reinforced," Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco said in his homily.  Additional memorial services are planned for tomorrow, the one month anniversary of the tragedy.

UPDATE: 8 AM Eastern 9 Feb. 2012

Bad weather continues to hamper the search for bodies and the fuel removal from Costa Concordia. Meanwhile legal proceedings continued, with the judge rejecting the prosecutors request to send the captain, who is under house arrest, back to jail. There are multiple suits filed or in the works by U.S. lawyers on behalf of groups of passengers and crew.  It will be interesting to see how those cases play out since the ticket contract, which passengers agree to when they board the ship, restricts compensation / liability and is governed by Italian law.

UPDATE: 9 PM Eastern  6 Feb. 2012

Prosecutors want Captain Francesco Schettino jailed for a total of 2,697 years as they made a request to have him sent back to jail, it emerged today. He is currently under house arrest in his home near Naples. Today, in a three hour closed door hearing in Florence before an appeal court judge, prosecutors argued he be sent back to jail as they fear he may well interfere with evidence and the fact that he fled his ship also raises the possibility he may try and avoid justice.

UPDATE: 9 AM Eastern  4 Feb. 2012

Another week has gone by and the story remains the same. The death toll remains at 17 with 15 missing and presumed to be deceased. Weather has been a factor most of this week preventing the search and oil recovery processes. SMIT continues to monitor the situation and remains ready to proceed with the extraction once conditions are favorable.

The investigation continues, with information surfacing about the captain and Domnica Cemortan, 25, from Chisinau, Moldova, who was seen in his company, and possibly was on the bridge before the accident. It is being reported that some of her clothing and cosmetics were found by divers in the captain's cabin. Their relationship is unclear, with contradictory information appearing in various reports, so we won't speculate here. It is probably safe to assume however, that the two of them were together around the time the ship hit the rocks.

UPDATE: 9 AM Eastern 30 Jan. 2012

Over the weekend, the 17th victim was pulled from the wreckage of Costa Concordia. SMIT provided a briefing of the process to remove the oil from the tanks of the vessel (click on link to article above). Weather conditions were unfavorable, and those efforts had to be discontinued. It is being reported that the ship may not be removed for as many as 10 months.

UPDATE: 9 AM Eastern 27 Jan. 2012

Costa Cruises negotiated the compensation plan, for uninjured passengers, with Italian consumer groups, announcing a payment of 11,000 Euros (approx. $14,500 US). See updated article above for complete details.

The death toll remained at 16 since the rescue operations had been halted due to bad weather. Preparations for the fuel extraction continued. See related blog post for complete details.

UPDATE: 1 PM Eastern 25 Jan. 2012

Bad weather halted search operations on Wednesday.

UPDATE: 9:00 AM Eastern 24 Jan. 2012

Another body was found somewhere on deck three bringing the death toll to 16. Preparations are underway to begin pumping of the fuel from the 17 tanks onboard the ship. A barge with a huge crane and other equipment hitched to the Concordia as the first step in the removal process. The actual removal isn't expected to start until Saturday.

UPDATE: 9:00 PM Eastern 23 Jan. 2012

Two women were found near the internet cafe by divers today, bringing the death count to 15. Salvage operations are also about to start to remove the fuel in parallel to the continuing search & recovery activity. There is no immediate danger that the ship will slip, so officials have given the go-ahead to begin the fuel operation.

UPDATE: 9:00 AM Eastern 23 Jan. 2012

BREAKING NEWS ... Italian officials say that removal of fuel and the search for victims can be done in tandem.  For days, fear had been growing that the stricken ship could sink to the depths of the sea and perhaps leak some, if not all, of the more than 2200 tons of heavy fuel into the pristine waters of Tuscany making this an even greater disaster.   This is a very important change in policy, allowing for both operations to be done.  The removal of the fuel is estimated to take up to two weeks.

UPDATE: 11 AM Eastern 22 Jan. 2012

Divers have recovered a female body in the aft of the ship, bringing the death count to 13. There is speculation that this latest victim is an unregistered Hungarian who phoned her family from the ship and hasn't been heard from since. That raises the possibility that the missing count may be inaccurate.

Fuel tanks containing more than 2200 tons of heavy fuel are holding while some light fuel from machinery has leaked into the sea.   Salvage operations will not begin until the search is terminated.   Searching of non-submerged parts of the ship continues as the seas were too rough for submerged sections to be safely explored.

Police divers have entered the captain's quarters retrieving his safe, suitcases, and documents.  The investigation continues, with the captain saying that the cruise line was aware of sail by salutes and often did them for publicity.   Costa Cruises' CEO contradicted that statement.

UPDATE: 5 PM Eastern 21 Jan. 2012

It is with sadness that we report the death toll has risen once again. Saturday, divers found a female passenger in the aft, near an assembly area of the submerged ship. Additional holes have been blown in the side of the ship to allow quicker access to the interior of the vessel. Eight days since the incident unfolded, rescue efforts continue, however hope of finding any more survivors has dwindled. Cabins are being searched using micro cameras which each cabin taking approximately 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, there was a hard drive salvaged which may contain video footage of the incident. Captain Francesco Schettino remains under house arrest near Naples, charged with manslaughter and abandoning ship before the evacuation was complete.  He denies leaving the ship early, stating that he had fallen into a life boat during rescue efforts, however, he was reluctant to return to ship when the Coast Guard ordered him to do so.

UPDATE: 9 AM Eastern 20 Jan. 2012

Once again rescue operations were suspended as the ship slid.  Salvage crews are trying to secure the Costa Concordia to rocks with heavy cables as the cruise ship slips into the sea at a rate of 1.5cm per hour. The stricken ship slid by around 5ft (1.5m) deeper into the sea on Wednesday.

The fear is that big waves forecast for the next 36 hours could push the ship off its perch, sending it to the bottom of the sea.  Removal of the fuel has not started yet since the search effort is still ongoing.

UPDATE: 1 PM Eastern 19 Jan. 2012

Rescue and recovery operations have resumed after being suspended for most of the day Wednesday as a 1.5 foot slippage stopped the work. Officials are getting more anxious about the ship's precarious position on the rocks as more rough seas are forecast in the next few days. Costa Cruises has deployed barriers which are designed to contain any fuel leak as ordered by local officials.

Two French nationals and a Hungarian violinist are among the confirmed dead that were recently identified. There are still at least 21 people missing.  While there is no deadline of completion of the search, the start of the salvage operations, to remove the fuel, is dependent on the rescue efforts terminating.   It is estimated that the fuel removal could take at least two weeks.

UPDATE: 9 AM Eastern 18 Jan. 2012

Once again rescue operations were halted on Wednesday, as rough seas caused another slight shift of the ship.Work had continued in the upper sections of the vessel overnight, but the shifting prevented the searching of submerged areas of the vessel.

Workers are still rushing against time as storms are forecast to enter the area on Thursday.  The fear is that there could be a fuel spill or the ship could sink to the bottom of the sea, if it were to be shifted from its present position upon the rocks.   Since five days have now passed, hopes are very slim that anyone else could be alive in the wreckage. 

UPDATE: 1 PM Eastern 17 Jan. 2012

Five additional bodies have been recovered from the scene of the Concordia accident now as efforts continue to account for all of the missing passengers and crew.   A race against the clock continues to find all the missing and to prevent an environmental disaster as a "liquid" was seen leaking from the vessel.  (see related links above for more about the recovery).

An audio taped conversation between the Captain and the Italian Coast Guard was released to the press, and played on national news yesterday, indicating that the Captain was conducting the rescue efforts from a life boat when the Coast Guard wanted him to be back on board and ordered him to do so.  The Captain faces multiple charges related to the incident and is scheduled to appear in court today.

 

UPDATE: 9 AM Eastern 16 Jan. 2012

The death toll has risen to six, and rescue operations have been suspended as the calm weather changed to rough seas and light drizzle causing the ship to slip 9 cm (4 inches) vertically and 1.5 cm horizontally.  The rescuers had been fearing that weather could impact operations.  It isn't known when rescue efforts will be allowed to continued.

Meanwhile, Costa Cruises is admitting that  human error, in the part of the Captain, played a significant role in this accident.   While they say they will provide him with assistance, it is clear that they are placing the blame solely on his shoulders.  It would appear that the focus of the investigation will center around why the ship was so close to shore in the first place as well as what happened next.

UPDATE: 3 PM Eastern 15 Jan. 2012


A honeymoon couple and the chief purser, who had broken his leg, were rescued from the ship on Sunday but news of that was dampened when divers found the bodies of two elderly gentlemen.  Rescue efforts continued as there were still 15 people unaccounted for.  Meanwhile many have headed home, while preparations are being made to pump the more than 2300 tons of fuel from the vessel.  That will have to wait until the rescue operations are completed so as not to cause the vessel to shift in the water.

The investigation is just beginning to determine why the ship was so close to shore and  also what went wrong to cause the accident.   Devices similar to the "black boxes"  on airplanes will be examined for evidence.

The death toll stands at 5 with at least 64 injured following the accident which occurred around 10 PM Friday night.   Despite being compared to the Titanic, the good news is that it was not as tragic, partially due to changes made to maritime safety procedures and requirements following that disaster.

UPDATE:  5 PM Eastern 14 Jan. 2012

The ship's commander, Francesco Schettino, an 11-year Costa veteran, and a fellow officer were detained for questioning and later arrested on charges of manslaughter, according to media reports. Investigators want to know why the ship never sent out a mayday, among other things. In addition, the ship was evidently sailing between the Tuscan coast and Giglio instead of in open seas, an anomaly. 

Costa Cruise's website couldn't handle the traffic and also was out of service.  Updates are being provided on their Facebook page: 

Costa Cruises Statement Regarding Costa Concordia Jan. 14 - Update #2

STATEMENT 14 JAN – 5.10 am It is a tragedy that deeply affects our company. Our first thoughts go to the victims and we would like to express our condolences and our closeness to their families and friends. In this moment all our efforts are focused on the completion of the last emergency operations, besides providing assistance to the guests and the crew who were onboard in order to have them going back home as soon as possible. The emergency procedures started promptly to evacuate the ship. The slope, gradually taken over by the ship, made the evacuation extremely difficult. We would like to express our profound gratitude to the Coast Guard and all the forces co-ordinated by the Coast Guard, including the authorities and citizens of the island “Isola del Giglio”, who have been involved in the rescue and assistance to guests and crew members. The company will fully co-operate with the relevant Authorities in order to determine the causes of what happened.

 We will continue to monitor this breaking news story and provide updates.

Rescue Efforts Continue

A nighttime operation involving helicopters, ships, and lifeboats evacuated passengers to schools, churches, and other public buildings in Porto Santo Stefano where a reception centre has been established to account for all the passengers and crew. 

A team of 40 men and specialist divers are searching the scene and interior compartments of the cabins.  There are at least 50 people unaccounted for, and efforts are ongoing to identify everyone.  That task is very difficult with some passengers being picked up and housed in private homes and further complicated since passengers would not have had time to get their papers from cabins.

Costa Concordia Facts

Costa Concordia

• Cruise Line: Costa Cruises
• Ship Name: Costa Concordia
• Ship Class/Group: Concordia Class
• Year Built: 2006
• Year Entered Fleet: 2006
• Country of Registry: Italy
• Tonnage (GRT): 114,500
• Pax (basis 2): 3,000
• Max Pax (w/Uppers): 3,780
• Passenger Decks: 14
• Number of Crew: 1,100
• Officers' Nationality: Italian
• Cruise/Hotel Staff Nationality: International

Cruise Industry Safety Record

It saddens us to be reporting this tragic accident, and our hearts and prayers go out to the passengers and families of those involved.  When an accident of this scale occurs, it is front page news and rightfully so.  We would be remiss, however, if we didn't also report the positive side of this incident and the overall safety record of the cruise industry.   First let's take a look at the safety record:

The cruise industry maintains an excellent safety record. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, cruising today is one of the safest modes of transportation, and the industry is constantly striving to improve its safety procedures. Over the past two decades, an estimated 90 million passengers safely enjoyed a cruise vacation. In 1996, the U.S. Coast Guard conducted a comprehensive safety study that concluded the cruise industry is the safest form of commercial transportation and that international safety initiatives being undertaken should further improve its safety record.   Read more about safety initiatives here.

Mandatory Safety Drills

Just like on an airplane, before the ship departs, a mandatory safety drill is held by the ship's captain and crew.   The purpose of the drill is to familiarize passengers with the safety procedures and location of the lifeboats and assembly stations.

The picture here is courtesy of a passenger onboard the Costa Concordia at the time of the evacuation.  As you can see, passengers are wearing the life jackets, which are glowing in the dark.   Emergency lighting illuminates the assembly area, and crew members are providing instructions.   (Click the picture for complete image and credits).

This scene, despite being in the middle of a real emergency, shows the safety procedures in work.   One must only think back to 1912 when a similar incident, involving the infamous Titanic, didn't have sufficient lifeboats, life jackets, and the safety procedures and equipment which today's ships utilize.  There will undoubtedly be more deaths and injuries resulting from today's tragedy, but by comparison, the story will have a much better outcome.

For those with upcoming cruises, it would not be unexpected for you to have concerns following an incident like this.   For any of our clients that have those concerns, we will be happy to discuss the situation with you.  Keep in mind that safety is the number one concern of the entire industry.   We have written time and time again about cancellations and itinerary changes made in the abundance of caution.   The industry will learn from this unfortunate accident, and additional improvements will undoubtedly be implemented.

About Costa Cruises:

Considered to be Europe's #1 cruise line, Costa Cruises has been owned by Carnival Corporation since 1997. Its fleet spans the globe, offering cruises of seven nights and longer to the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Northern Europe, South America and Transatlantic crossings. With its signature "Cruising Italian Style", Costa attracts cruisers from all parts of the globe, especially America, Canada, South America and Europe.  Read More: Costa Cruises - Cruising Italian Style