Death Toll Reaches 11 in Costa Concordia Tragedy
The death toll is now at least 11 in the Costa Concordia Cruise Ship tragedy and Prosecutors and the cruise line that owns the Concordia are now saying Capt. Francesco Schettino is to blame for the tragic injuries and losses sustained during the crash. What Carnival Cruises is calling a “highly unusual incident,” is the worst cruise liner accident the world has seen in a long time.
The ship went down after Capt. Francesco Schettino crashed the boat into what he has stated was an uncharted rock. The incident ripped a hole in the Concordia’s hull causing the ship to quickly lean heavily to its starboard side. Reportedly, Schettino immediately boarded a lifeboat without following protocol and working to account for and make an effort to rescue all 4,200 passengers.
Passengers experienced the terrifying drop as the ship quickly shifted and the flat ground they were standing and sitting on suddenly angled to near 180 degrees. Furniture and fixtures of all kinds tumbled alongside them creating further risk of injury.
Although there were fortunately many survivors, 24 passengers still remain missing and unaccounted for. Authorities hope whole-heartedly that they simply fled the scene without alerting anyone. Other passengers who were aboard the ship undoubtedly suffered both physical and emotional injury.
At least two Americans, Gerald and Barbara Heil of Minnesota, are among those who are still known to be missing. Two Philadelphia area newlyweds, Rob and Megan Mauri of Lancaster, who survived the accident and noted that they had to wait nearly 90 minutes before they were allowed to board life boats and by that time, the ship had angled itself so far to one side that many of the life boats were inaccessible.
