7°c Clear
20°c Sunny
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Captain blamed in fatal shipwreck
ROME -- Court-appointed experts have squarely blamed the captain of a cruise ship that ran aground off Italy for the wreckage and deaths of 32 people, but they also faulted the crew and shipowner for a series of blunders, delays and safety breaches that contributed to the disaster.
The Costa Concordia ran aground and capsized off the Tuscan island of Giglio on Jan. 13 after Capt. Francesco Schettino took it off course and brought it close to the island as part of a stunt. He is accused of manslaughter, causing the shipwreck and abandoning the ship before all passengers were evacuated.
Eight other people, among them crew members and Costa's crisis co-ordinator, are also under investigation. The court in Grosseto ordered the expert investigation to help it determine who, if anyone, should be put on trial.
In a 270-page analysis, the four experts described in second-by-second detail the unfolding disaster as Schettino slowly came to realize the gravity of the situation. Using data and voice recorders to reconstruct the drama on the bridge, the report showed how Schettino failed to grasp for 45 minutes repeated reports from his crew that his ship was flooding and its motors dead.
The analysis came out Wednesday and was placed online Thursday by the Rome daily La Repubblica.
The experts determined Schettino should have given the "abandon ship" order at 10 p.m. that night, 15 minutes after the 9:45 p.m. grounding. Instead, the evacuation order went out at 10:43 p.m. By that time, passengers on their own had already reported to their muster stations with life-jackets on.
-- The Associated Press
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 14, 2012 A17
More World
- Back to Top
- Return to World
More World
(1 of 13 articles for today)
Khaled Hosseini discusses novel, "And the Mountains Echoed," at NY reading; book spans decades
3:08 AM 0
Poll
Most Popular World
- Search for survivors of Oklahoma tornado nearly complete, as homeowners confront devastation
- Massive tornado roars through Oklahoma City suburb, killing at least 51
- The pope and the devil: Francis' obsession with Satan leads to suspicion he performed exorcism
- Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris evacuated after suicide inside the landmark church
- Tornado leads CBS to pull season-ending episode of 'Mike & Molly'
- Jury sent to begin deliberating whether to give Jodi Arias life in prison or death sentence
- Umbrella-gate stirs outrage
- US zoo looking into conception mystery after birth of anteater; no male in pen
- After exchange, Israel warns against Golan attacks, says Syria will 'bear consequences'
- Phone cracked? Cool
- Massive tornado roars through Oklahoma City suburb, killing at least 51
- Search for survivors of Oklahoma tornado nearly complete, as homeowners confront devastation
- Phone cracked? Cool
- US woman credits 'mother's instincts' in chase of 4-year-old daughter's abductor
- Umbrella-gate stirs outrage
- US zoo looking into conception mystery after birth of anteater; no male in pen
- Remote Alaska volcano continues to erupt, with lava fountains, ash plumes
- Jurors find Jodi Arias eligible for death penalty after murder conviction in boyfriend killing
- Boston Marathon runners who couldn't finish because of blasts can return in 2014
- The pope and the devil: Francis' obsession with Satan leads to suspicion he performed exorcism
- Amanda Berry, 1 of 3 women freed after held captive in Ohio home, arrives at sister's home
- Massive tornado roars through Oklahoma City suburb, killing at least 51
- Friendship with bomb suspect, complex chain of events leads to 3 being charged
- Police vow to solve shooting that wounded 19 people during Mother's Day parade in New Orleans
- Missing Pa. woman, last seen dropping off kids for school in 2002, surfaces in Fla.
- Cleveland police: Ohio captive suffered 5 miscarriages after being beaten and starved
- As Boston mourns, suspected brothers' radicalism comes into focus
- Jodi Arias convicted of first-degree murder, says she prefers death penalty
- Neighbours: Man in custody comforted missing girl's mom, helped search for missing US women
- High school baseball team lifts car to free 16-year-old girl
- Ray Manzarek, keyboardist and founding member of rock group The Doors, dies at 74 from cancer
- Argentina's 'dirty war' dictator dies
- Massive tornado roars through Oklahoma City suburb, killing at least 51
- Search for survivors of Oklahoma tornado nearly complete, as homeowners confront devastation
- Jury sent to begin deliberating whether to give Jodi Arias life in prison or death sentence
- Arias hearing a 'witch hunt,' lawyers say
- Yahoo goes for Tumblr, pays $1.1B
- Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris evacuated after suicide inside the landmark church
- Trove of Muppets creator Jim Henson's items headed for NYC's Museum of the Moving Image
- Phone cracked? Cool
- Ray Manzarek, keyboardist and founding member of rock group The Doors, dies at 74 from cancer
- Lawyer: Saudi man travelling with pressure cooker didn't know device used in Boston bombings
- Hatchet-wielding hitchhiker who intervened in California attack arrested in NJ homicide
- Remote Alaska volcano continues to erupt, with lava fountains, ash plumes
- Argentina's 'dirty war' dictator dies
- Massive tornado roars through Oklahoma City suburb, killing at least 51
- Shady characters: Cookie Monster, Elmo accused of aggressive behaviour in Times Square
- U.S. envoy punted; Russia alleges spying
- 16 tornadoes wallop North Texas, 6 dead; Habitat homes among many devastated in 1 subdivision
- 'Coronation Street' actor William Roache charged in UK over alleged rapes in 1967
- Coroner: 5-year-old boy shoots 2-year-old sister in US with rifle he got as a gift
- Hitler ate well, his food taster recalls
- Black bear wanders into LA-area suburbia, chases swimmers from pool, strands kids in class
- Female guards, rapidly growing in numbers, at heart of U.S. prison scandal
- Phone cracked? Cool
- Bill to alter rules of succession before Kate gives birth nears completion as Lords approve
- US tourists swim for nearly 14 hours after boat sinks near St. Lucia
- IBM makes movie about a little boy - a very little boy - by pushing molecules around
- Friendship with bomb suspect, complex chain of events leads to 3 being charged
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.