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GreekReporter.comEuropeThree Greeks Aboard Cruise Ship Wrecked in Italy; 20 Passengers Missing and...

Three Greeks Aboard Cruise Ship Wrecked in Italy; 20 Passengers Missing and 3 dead

Cruise Ship Costa Concordia after hitting a rock, offshore Tusan, Italy

Passengers leap into the sea and fought over life-jackets in panic when an Italian cruise ship ran aground and keeled over, killing at least three and leaving dozens missing.

In the chaotic aftermath of the Friday evening accident near the island of Giglio off the coast of Tuscany, Italian officials could still not say how many of the 4,229 passengers and crew on board the 114,500-tonne Costa Concordia were missing. According to the GM of Costa Crociere, The vessel’s operator, there were three Greek citizens on the cruise-ship. All three are in good health.
“People were trying to steal lifejackets from each other. We could only gets ones for children,” said a passenger.

An official involved in the rescue operation said two French tourists and a Peruvian crew member were dead. Around 70 people were injured.

Authorities opened a criminal investigation for possible manslaughter and Italian news agencies reported that the ship’s commander, Francesco Schettino had been detained by police.
The vessel’s operator, Costa Crociere, a unit of Carnival Corp & Plc, the world’s largest cruise operator, said it had been sailing on its regular course when it struck a submerged rock. In a television interview, the ship’s commander said the rock was not marked on any maritime charts of the area.

The vessel was left capsized on its side in water 15-20 meters deep, with decks partly submerged, not far from the shore. A large gash was visible on its side.

According to Italian officials there are twenty passengers still missing. They said the search would continue overnight although darkness and the cold seas would make the work difficult.
The ship was built in 2004-2005 at a cost of 450 million euros at the Fincantieri Sestri shipyard in Italy.

(With information from Reuters)

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