Costa issues statement
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Costa Crociere has issued a statement following the inquiry into the Costa Concordia disaster, firming its stance on the events which took place in January 2012.
According to the statement, the captain was solely responsible for the evacuation of the ship and, while the vessel’s crisis unit was promptly convened, it was unable to help because of the speed at which the ship sank. However, the unit did provide the information and logistics support to passengers ashore.
Costa Cruises said: “Any decision to ensure the safety of the persons on board or the ship falls under the captain’s sole responsibility, since he is the person who is most aware of the situation on board and cannot abdicate his responsibilities.”
Further, the report went on to say, it is the captain’s sole responsibility to notify the authorities of any accident that may jeopardise the safety of the ship, while the master has the duty to inform the company, while the master and the company have the duty to remain at the disposal of the authorities and offer their full cooperation.
“The moment the order to abandon the ship was given, the ship was evacuated rapidly assisted mainly by the crew, who worked under difficult conditions because the ship’s list made it very challenging to carry out operations as provided by planned procedures.”
The line also made a comment regarding the route taken by the Concordia on the night it sank, saying that obligation of notification lies with the master of the ship: “Neither the port authorities or the company were informed of the variation of the route,” the cruise line said.
After the pre-trial is completed a judge will decide as to whether there is enough evidence to warrant a formal trial.