What Cruise Ship Ran Aground?

By Anna Duncan

On January 13, 2012, the cruise ship Costa Concordia ran aground off the coast of Giglio Island, Italy. The incident has been called one of the worst maritime disasters in recent history and resulted in 32 deaths and hundreds of injuries. The massive vessel struck a submerged rock late at night as it attempted to sail close to shore so the passengers could have a better view of the island.

The Costa Concordia was built in 2006 and was owned by Carnival Corporation. It was 950 feet long and weighed 114,000 gross tons.

With a capacity of 4,200 passengers, it was one of the largest cruise ships ever constructed at the time. It had several restaurants, bars, clubs, swimming pools, saunas and even a casino.

That fateful January night saw Captain Francesco Schettino make an ill-advised decision to take a shortcut during his sailing route in order to give his passengers a closer look at Giglio Island. The tragedy unfolded when he veered too close to shore and hit an uncharted reef jutting out from the sea floor. The impact caused an 80-meter gash that flooded two compartments near its waterline.

Immediately after hitting the reef, Schettino ordered an evacuation of all passengers and crew members aboard the vessel. Unfortunately many did not make it off safely due to confusion among passengers and crew members as well as panic among those trying to escape.

Conclusion:

The Costa Concordia ran aground on January 13th 2012 due to Captain Francesco Schettino’s decision to take a shortcut which led him too close to shore where he hit an uncharted reef with his vessel. This maritime disaster resulted 32 deaths and hundreds of injuries among its 4200 passengers who were on board at that time.