PSA seeks to reassure cruise passengers over ship safety
The Passenger Shipping Association has offered reassurance to cruise passengers following the Costa tragedy.
At least six people have been confirmed dead and others remain missing after the Costa Concordia ran aground off the coast of Italy on Friday night (see earlier story).
As images of the ship lying on its side are beamed around the world, PSA director Bill Gibbons reassured passengers that incidents like this are isolated and very rare.
"Ships’ crews undertake rigorous training, drills and scenarios for emergency situations including the evacuation of a vessel," he said.
"The ships themselves comply with stringent regulations and procedures from the governing maritime authorities covering every aspect of their build and operation."
He said Costa and the wider cruise industry would fully cooperate in a full and thorough investigation into the causes of this event.
"We would like to reassure other cruise ship passengers that PSA member cruise companies operate to the highest safety standards around the world and according to international maritime requirements," he added.
"During the past two decades, cruise lines have maintained the best safety record in the travel industry while transporting more than 90 million people throughout the world."
by Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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