Death toll in Italian cruise ship grounding expected to rise
Posted Jan 16, 2012 7:30 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
At least six deaths have been confirmed following Friday’s cruise ship tragedy off the coast of Tuscany, Italy.
Sixteen people are still unaccounted for.
The Captain of the Costa Concordia is being held on suspected manslaughter charges.
Reports indicate Francesco Schettino was showing-off as he guided the ship close to shore before it ran it into a reef and started taking on water.
He’s also accused of abandoning ship.
The owners of the Costa Crociere cruise line blame human error for the nautical tragedy, saying the ship passed all safety and technical tests in its 2011 evaluation.
Search and rescue efforts have been suspended because the ship is resting precariously on the rocks where it sits, and is being buffeted by rough seas.
Officials are also keeping a close eye on the ships fuel, which could leak from the upended hull into the pristine Mediterranean waters off the Island of Giglio
