Costa Concordia captain guided by ‘divine hand’

MiamiHerald.com
Francesco Schettino, the captain of the Costa Concordia ship which ran aground killing more than 30 people, claims a “divine hand” guided him during the disaster, preventing greater tragedy, reported Travel Mole, a British industry newsletter. In a letter explaining his version of events, published in Italy’s La Corriere della Sera newspaper, he defended his actions after the ship struck rocks and capsized off the coast of Tuscany in January.

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Costa Concordia rock which ripped hole in liner to be memorialized

Telegraph.co.uk
A massive chunk of rock which ripped a hole in the side of the Costa Concordia cruise ship, causing it to capsize six months ago, is to be removed and made into a permanent memorial to the victims of the disaster. The 80-ton rock was wrenched off a reef when the luxury cruise liner veered too close to the island of Giglio, off the Tuscan coast, on the night of Jan 13. 
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Costa Concordia pianist : ‘When we hit the rock, 4000 people screamed’

Telegraph.co.uk
A pianist on board the Costa Concordia has told how he was playing the piano to entertain guests before the ship hit a rock. By Nick Squires, Grosseto Alessandro Brandini, 43, said: “There was total panic and confusion – 4000 people screaming. For about 10 seconds I panicked too – I couldn’t remember which muster station to go to.”
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Video footage shows chaos on Costa Concordia

Telegraph.co.uk
A newly-discovered video shows the chaos on the Costa Concordia cruise ship as it began to capsize off the coast of Italy. The footage, from the bridge of the ship, shows the captain to be supremely relaxed as the disaster unfolds. The video shot on the ship’s bridge command deck appears to show Captain Francesco Schettino being pressured by other officers to give the go ahead for the evacuation of the ship.
“Commander, passengers are getting on lifeboats spontaneously,” says the unidentified officer, to which Schettino responds: “OK, fine. Let’s let them go to the land.”
When the same officer asks repeatedly if he should give the emergency signal, Schettino tells him to wait, and after another prompting finally calls to “abandon ship” Read More

Costa Concordia: divers launch rescue mission for boy’s teddy bear

Telegraph.co.uk
Italian divers risked life and limb to rescue a teddy bear that a child had left behind on theCosta Concordia during the chaotic evacuation of the cruise ship last month. The child’s father told rescuers that the little boy had been unable to sleep since the disaster and desperately missed his toy.

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Costa Concordia: Italian woman sues over miscarriage after cruise

Telegraph.co.uk‎ – 5 hours ago
An Italian woman who claims the terror and trauma of being involved in the Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster caused her to have a miscarriage has filed for a million euros in damages and compensation. The woman, identified only as Cristina M, survived the ordeal but miscarried a week afterwards. Read More

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