ladbible homepage
ladbible homepage
  • iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK
    • US
    • World
    • Ireland
    • Australia
    • Science
    • Crime
    • Weather
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV
    • Film
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • Netflix
    • Disney
  • Sport
  • Technology
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Money
  • Originals
    • FFS PRODUCTIONS
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Archive
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content Here
  • SPORTbible
  • Tyla
  • GAMINGbible
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • FOODbible
  • UNILAD Tech
Tragic story of cruise ship disaster which left 33 passengers dead

Home> News> World News

Updated 19:52 7 Mar 2024 GMTPublished 19:47 7 Mar 2024 GMT

Tragic story of cruise ship disaster which left 33 passengers dead

The 2012 disaster left 33 passengers and crew members dead

Joshua Nair

Joshua Nair

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover

In 2012, a cruise ship disaster killed 33 of its passengers and crew members, with the captain's actions during the disaster leading to an investigation.

The disaster occurred just off the west coast of Italy, with the cruise ship on one of its routine voyages.

The Costa Concordia sank off the coast of Italy 12 years ago.
Laura Lezza/Getty Images

The Costa Concordia was an Italian cruise ship that, when launched in 2005, was Italy's longest cruise ship at a length of 290 metres.

Advert

Owned by Costa Crociere, it has a passenger capacity of 3,780, in comparison to the Titanic, which was only 269 metres long with a capacity of 2,435 passengers.

Known for its numerous luxuries, such as four swimming pools, a casino and reportedly the largest ever spa on a ship.

It took its maiden voyage in July 2006, a seven-day trip around the Mediterranean Sea with stops in Italy, France and Spain, which would go on to become its standard route.

It travelled along this route for the next five and a half years.

The ship sunk in January 2012.
Fabrizio Villa/Getty Images

On 13 January 2012, the Concordia disembarked from Civitavecchia, Italy, with 1,023 crew members and 3,206 passengers aboard.

It approached Giglio Island hours later, deviating from its regular course, moving closer to the island for a maritime 'salute', where it would sound its horn.

However, a rock formation was noticed in the ship's path and Captain Francesco Schettino ordered a change in course, but due to language issues with the Indonesian helmsman, the ship was steered in the opposite direction.

Taking 13 seconds to correct the manoeuvre, the boat's bow swung clear but the stern caught the reef at 9:45pm, leaving a 53 metre tear in the port's left side.

Several areas of the boat, including the engine room, were flooded with the ship losing power.

As the engines and rudder stopped functioning, the ship couldn't be steered, but wind and the rudder's position steered the boat toward the island.

The captain downplayed the damage to the Italian coastguard at 10:14pm, noting that the ship only had a blackout, but 10 minutes later, he admitted that the ship was taking on water.

The captain abandoned the ship while it sunk.
Jacopo Raule/Getty Images

At 10:39pm, the first rescue vessel arrived, and just 15 minutes later, the captain ordered the ship be abandoned - even though reports say that lifeboats had been launched.

At 11:20pm, Schettino left the bridge and abandoned ship, later claiming that he fell of the ship and landed in a lifeboat.

13 minutes after this, the final crew member departed the bridge, despite the fact that 300 people were still on the sinking ship.

At 12:40 am, a coast guard called Schettino, who was in a lifeboat with other officers, and when ordered to return and oversee the evacuation, he refused.

Luckily, rescue operations has descended onto the scene and included 25 patrol boats, 14 merchant vessels and several helicopters.

By morning, 4,194 people had been evacuated to Giglio Island, with divers saving three more from inside the ship the following day.

Unfortunately, 32 people died in the disaster, and one member of the rescue team too, though the last body of a passenger wasn't recovered until November 2014.

Schettino and members of his team were charged with multiple offences, including manslaughter, with Schettino eventually convicted on all charges and sentenced to more than 16 years in prison.

Featured Image Credit: Fabrizio Villa/Getty Images / Laura Lezza/Getty Images

Topics: Cruise Ship, Travel, World News, Crime

Joshua Nair
Joshua Nair

Joshua Nair is a journalist at LADbible. Born in Malaysia and raised in Dubai, he has always been interested in writing about a range of subjects, from sports to trending pop culture news. After graduating from Oxford Brookes University with a BA in Media, Journalism and Publishing, he got a job freelance writing for SPORTbible while working in marketing before landing a full-time role at LADbible. Unfortunately, he's unhealthily obsessed with Manchester United, which takes its toll on his mental and physical health. Daily.

X

@joshnair10

Recommended reads

Skin expert explains huge rise of adults getting acne in their twenties(Getty Stock Images)Storage Wars’ Darrell Sheets made huge find inside $3,000 locker in one of show's best momentsA&EUFO researcher David Wilcock found dead at 53(Youtube/David Wilcock)What happens now as Trump administration reclassify cannabisGetty Stock Images

Advert

  • Cruise ship horror with dozens of 'frightened' passengers left floating in ocean
  • Passengers disgruntled as cruise ship is delayed after bananas fall overboard
  • Cruise ship lawyer shares what all passengers must know to protect themselves on ship
  • Elderly woman dies after being left on a deserted island by cruise ship

Choose your content:

10 hours ago
11 hours ago
  • (Getty Stock Images)
    10 hours ago

    Skin expert explains huge rise of adults getting acne in their twenties

    Struggling with acne as an adult? This could be why

    News
  • (Youtube/David Wilcock)
    10 hours ago

    UFO researcher David Wilcock found dead at 53

    David Wilcock, a prominent UFO researcher and YouTuber, died at his home in Colorado

    News
  • Getty Stock Images
    11 hours ago

    What happens now as Trump administration reclassify cannabis

    The change will benefit some people, but it doesn't legalise marijuana

    News
  • (Facebook)
    11 hours ago

    Healthy mum, 56, to end life at Swiss clinic after losing her only son

    Wendy Duffy has flown out to a clinic in Switzerland to end her life

    News