On the evening of Sunday, June 2nd 2019, a cruise ship operated by Costa Crociere S.p.A collided with a smaller tourist boat and a dock in Venice, Italy. The incident occurred around 8:30 pm local time, when the MSC Opera was approaching its berth at the San Basilio terminal in Venice’s Giudecca Canal.
The cause of the crash is believed to have been due to a technical malfunction of the cruise ship’s engines. According to initial investigations by Italian authorities, the operator of the MSC Opera failed to respond in time as it approached the dock, and it was unable to slow down enough to stop before hitting the smaller tourist boat and causing damage to both vessels as well as nearby buildings.
The incident has sparked outrage among Venetians and environmentalists alike, with many blaming cruise ships for contributing to air pollution in Venice and putting too much strain on its fragile infrastructure. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has announced plans for an immediate review of safety protocols governing the movement of large cruise ships through Venice’s canals.
Investigation into Crash Continues
Italian prosecutors have opened an investigation into potential negligence by Costa Crociere S.A., which operated the MSC Opera that caused this accident. In addition to investigating whether or not a technical malfunction was responsible for this crash, they are also looking into whether or not there were any other factors that may have contributed to this incident.
The investigation is still ongoing, but it is clear that something went wrong on board the MSC Opera on Sunday night that led it to crash into other vessels and structures in Venice’s Giudecca Canal. Whatever caused this tragic event will need to be identified quickly so that similar incidents can be avoided in future.
Conclusion
What caused the Venice Cruise Ship Crash is still under investigation by Italian authorities; however, it appears likely that a technical malfunction was responsible for this tragedy. Further investigations are needed in order to determine if there were any other factors that contributed towards this accident.