What Cruise Ship Sank Off the Coast of Italy?

By Robert Palmer

On Friday, January 13th, 2012, the Costa Concordia cruise ship sank off the coast of Italy near the island of Giglio. The tragedy resulted in the deaths of 32 people and the rescue of over 4,000 passengers and crew members. It was one of the largest maritime disasters in Europe since World War II.

The accident happened when the ship left its scheduled route and sailed too close to Giglio’s rocky coast. The navigational error caused a 160-feet gash in the hull of the Costa Concordia, and it quickly filled with water.

The captain, Francesco Schettino, had allegedly ordered an unapproved maneuver which caused the ship to sail too close to shore. He was later charged with multiple counts of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck, and abandoning ship before all 4,229 passengers and crew members were safely evacuated.

Rescue efforts began almost immediately after the incident occurred. Coast Guard helicopters airlifted passengers from the listing cruise ship while other boats rescued those who had jumped or fallen into the sea. By Monday morning, authorities declared that all passengers and crew members had been safely rescued.

The Aftermath: In its wake, this disaster left immense destruction and environmental damage. Much of Costa Concordia’s fuel leaked into the pristine waters of Giglio Island; threatening wildlife on land and in sea. Salvage operations began shortly after all survivors were rescued; but it took nearly two years before Costa Concordia was removed from its resting place off Giglio’s coast.

Conclusion: On January 13th 2012, Cruise Ship Costa Concordia sank off the coast of Italy near Giglio Island due to a navigational error by its captain Francesco Schettino. The tragedy resulted in 32 deaths with over 4,000 passengers and crew being rescued. The incident caused immense destruction and environmental damage which took nearly two years to fix before it could be removed from its resting place off Giglio’s coast.

Final Thoughts:What Cruise Ship Sank Off the Coast of Italy is a tragic reminder that human error can have devastating consequences – even at sea. This tragedy serves as a reminder that even with modern technology there is always room for improvement when it comes to safety protocols so that similar tragedies can be avoided in future.