Concordia captain lied about saving lives, court told
Claims by the captain of the Costa Concordia that he saved lives by steering the ship closer to land when it struck rocks off the coast of Italy last January were disputed in court during the second day of a pre-trial hearing.
Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, an admiral in the Italian navy on a panel of experts studying the cause of the disaster, told the court in Grosseto, Tuscany that the fact the ship swung closer to land was luck rather than any skill by Captain Francesco Schettino.
He said the ship was pushed towards the shore by the wind and waves, contradicting Captain Schettino’s insistence that he saved lives by steering the 1,000ft-long vessel close to the island of Giglio.
The court also heard that an echo sounder device that measured the depth of water beneath the vessel had been "inexplicably" switched off before the Concordia struck the rocks. Costa Cruises told the hearing that the ship had been equipped with more radar systems than needed, and that enough of them had been in operation to meet legal requirements.
However, Codacons, a consumer rights group, said the echo sounder could have helped prevent the disaster and avoid the 32 deaths.
The court will decide whether to send Capt Schettino to trial on charges of manslaughter, abandoning his ship and causing a shipwreck. He denies all charges.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that the operation to salvage the Concordia will take at least six months longer than planned. Rescuers who had hoped the ship could be refloated and towed away in January now said that it is more likely to June at the earliest before the ship can be moved.
More than 400 divers, engineers and salvage experts are working on the operation, which is expected to cost £250m.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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