The Costa Concordia tragedy

[bobso]

Looks like the massive cruise liner Costa-Concordia is lost---how could this happen with all the electronic navigation aids used nowadays.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2086527/Costa-Concordia-Massive-evacuation-underway-cruise-ship-starts-sinking-Italian-coast.html

[Matteo 91]

The italian cruise ship Costa Concordia (114.000 tons) is now aground near the Giglio island, 4 dead ... an incredible tragedy!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16558910





and is now sinking:




It's UNBELIEVABLE! It remembers me just this:

[Pat Curry]

The unthinkable but not the unsinkable.
Utter misery for the shivering survivors. 
We all hope for no further deaths.  

[Matteo 91]

The question is, how could it happen!? 

A modern and safe ship (built in 2005) in calm water in the Mediterranean at night ... it seems just impossible!
The ship is unlikely to be saved: she is now resting on the sea floor (part of her is emerging because of the shallowness of the seabed) and the hull now has a 70 meters long hole, caused by the rocks as she was sinking.

It's incredible and unexpected.

[Twynkle]

Thoughts and prayers go out to the the ships company as well as passengers, their friends and families.
The BBC reported this news from AFP at midnight last night.
This morning, it's reported at as she began to list very rapidly; it was impossible for people to walk anywhere on the ship, to join the tenders.
Currently, there are 'at least 3 people feared dead'.
There was no wind, and no other reasons yet for the grounding ans subsequent state of the ship.
It was first reported to Italian coastgurds  at approx 8.30pm (utc) yesterday evening with over 4,000 people on board.
Costa Concordia has been the flagship of the Italian fleet.
The Porto de Giglio webcam on this page shows the ship in situ.
http://www.alltravels.com/italy/tuscany/giglio-porto/webcams-742288

[Louis De Sousa]

The question is, how could it happen!?

I have said its so many times with cruise ships going bigger and bigger and tragedy is about to happen one day.It happened now luckily close to land next time it willl in the middle of open water, then how do you evacute 5000 people? Taliking about the list after the struck the ship listed to 20 degress so says reports.Does this mean that so close to land the Watertight doors were not closed?

I was on QE2 when we ran ground in 1992 the ship hardly listed and the watertigt doors were closed.

[Louis De Sousa]

More photos here

http://mikeyscruiseblog.com/2012/01/13/breaking-news-costa-concordia-rams-into-pier-killing-2/

[Lynda Bradford]

I can only imagine the panic that ensued as the passengers realised the gravity of the situation. 

My thoughts and prayers go out to passengers and crew who have been involved in this tragic incident. 

[Andy F]

Given the loss of lives involved & that this remains an ongoing situation then it would be wholly inappropriate to speculate as to the possible cause at this time

[Louis De Sousa]

First passengers reports saying that things were not run well.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gRZIWyfwdsvTEhuf_9HxHti8joaw?docId=0b26cb0e5bba4c7b9162bc08c8a93490

[Louis De Sousa]

Photos here from the hole on the hull

http://www.rp-online.de/panorama/ausland/der-riss-im-rumpf-der-costa-concordia-1.2672901

[Rob Lightbody]

In the most recent photos, the damage to her port side below the waterline looks incredible.  There is even what appears to be a huge rock jammed into the side of her hull.   However thinking of the ship lengthwise, the majority of it (which is visible) is still undamaged.

Does the fact that she listed to starboard, imply that there was even greater damage on that side?

The stabilisers are out, which I presume means that she was at reasonable speed at the time.  If a stabiliser fin hits an immovable obstruction, is it designed to 'fail safe' and break off or something, or would it do a huge amount of damage?

And my final question - do ships actually have accurate equipment that identifies underwater obstructions, or do they still rely on accurate charts?  This particular accident is reminding me a bit of Louis Cruises' Sea Diamond sinking a few years ago.

[Rob Lightbody]

One other thing - why on earth are lifeboat drills not held BEFORE the ship and her new passengers sails?  People who boarded the ship yesterday, were not due their drill for nearly 24 hours!  If a drill is required, then it is required immediately I think.

  On my QE2 trips this was done before the ship sailed - what is the practice now?  What is common practice on Cunard cruises these days?  I'm guessing the drill is still before sailing in Southampton?  But what about if you're joining the ship elsewhere?

[Lynda Bradford]

My experience on Cunard ships is that the lifeboat drill takes places before sailing.  If passengers join the ship at a later port in the cruise then they are instructed to take part in emergency drill specifically for new passengers before the ship leaves the port where they joined the ship.  

I am always of the opinion that the lifeboat drill does not reflect the real thing, which is evidenced in this instance.  Reports of people still in their evening wear would suggest that they have time to go back to their cabins for warm clothing.  The ship listing to the side making movement around the ship difficult.  How difficult it must have been for passengers in wheelchairs and less mobile passengers.  

[Louis De Sousa]

Rob the question is why are the stabiliser out the seas were calm and the ship really does have that much of a great speed.I woulld presume at the time the ship was sailing somewhere between 16-20 knots.

As for the boat drills it must be done before the ship sails, this is a MUST.Sadly even when this takes place some passengers take it as a joke or simpling dont do it.Remember when going on future cruise DO THE DRILL IT MIGHT SAVE YOUR LIFE AND OTHERS.

I wonder way also the quick list the ship?it is going past a set of island the WTDs below waterline have to be closed.Can it be that the water tanks were empty? the next days hopefully a few questions will be answered.