The images of the huge cruise ship lying on its prone are burned in, not just the castaways and the residents of the small island of Giglio. They went around the world and became a symbol of sheer negligence. Thursday will be the tenth anniversary of the “Costa Concordia” accident. “To some it seems as if it was yesterday,” said a victim lawyer to the dpa.
Among the more than 4,200 people on board were 77 Austrians, including the then Mayor of Salzburg, Heinz Schaden (SPÖ). Unlike 32 other passengers, you got away with your life.
Friday the 13th.
The ship of the shipping company Costa Crociere set sail from the port of Civitavecchia near Rome on Friday, January 13, 2012, which is full of symbolism. Captain Schettino allowed the 300 meter long ship to come too close to Giglio to “greet” the harbor, which was lit up in the evening. The “Costa Concordia” scratched a ledge under water, which slit open the hull over a length of around 70 meters.
Ten years ago the “Costa Concordia” sank
On January 13, 2012, the cruise ship “Costa Concordia” sank off the Tuscan island of Giglio. The reason for this was that Captain Francesco Schettino had steered the ship once morest a rock. A total of 32 people died in the accident.
It leaked and came to rest in an inclined position in front of the harbor basin. Most of the passengers were just having dinner in the dining room, but many were also trapped inside the hull by the masses of water.
The people on board were left in the dark for three quarters of an hour. The message came over the loudspeakers that there were only problems with the power supply. One should stay in the cabins and keep calm. It was not until an hour following the collision that the ship’s sirens finally howled for evacuation. Panic had long since prevailed on board. Those who mightn’t get hold of a lifeboat jumped into the ice-cold water.
The inhabitants of Giglio opened schools, kindergartens, the church and private houses for the castaways. It was thanks to the wind that the number of victims did not rise higher. If he had driven the ship away from the underwater plinth, the “Costa Concordia” would have been driven out to sea.
The captain disembarked
After the chaos subsided, a culprit was quickly found: the captain, who not only maneuvered too daringly, but also disembarked too early – while the evacuation was still in progress. Schettino had reached a pier by lifeboat. There he phoned the chief of operations of the coast guard, Gregorio de Falco, the transcript of the conversation was later made public. Schettino’s role as a bogeyman was cemented in it: he should kindly go back on board and help the people, de Falco yelled at the captain.
“Look, you’re going to climb up the bow ladder, get on the ship and tell me how many people are still on board. And what they need. Is that clear? ”Says De Falco. “Do you hear Schettino that you saved yourself from the sea … I will really do something bad to you … I will make you pay for it. Get on board, damn it. “
The “Costa Concordia” was supposed to remain two years before Giglio, a memorial and magnet for disaster tourists. It was not until 2014 that the huge wreck was recovered, erected and transported to Genoa at great expense. Only there was the last fatality found. The damaged seabed off Giglio has been restored. For this and for the compensation, the Costa Concordia operator had to spend 85 million euros.
Remembrance in Giglio
On Thursday, as every year, the disaster is commemorated, Giglio’s mayor and survivors lay a wreath of flowers on the memorial stone for the victims. There will be a memorial mass in the morning and a torchlight procession in the evening. At 9.45 p.m., the time of the accident, the ship’s sirens and church bells will ring. This is followed by a minute’s silence.
Rescue of the “Costa Concordia” in time lapse
Schettino is spending the anniversary in the Roman prison Rebibbia. He was the only one to be held responsible and was sentenced for 16 years for, among other things, negligent homicide and negligent bodily harm. A court of appeal and also the highest Italian court in Rome upheld the judgment.
Studying behind bars
Schettino is now studying law and journalism in prison and writing for the prison newspaper. He continues to try to be released early. In 2018 he filed a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, a decision is pending. In the spring, the now 61-year-old might get access to alternative punitive measures. Because of good leadership, he was allowed to spend the holidays with his family at Christmas this year, reported the Roman daily newspaper “Il Messaggero”. He no longer gives any public statements.
