Costa Concordia Survivors Want More Compensation

Russian and US survivors from the Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster have joined forces with an Italian consumer group to press for over 400 million euros in compensation.

10 Months to Remove Cruise Ship in Italy

The Costa Concordia will take up to 10 months to remove, officials said Sunday, as rough seas off the Italian coast forced the suspension of recovery operations.

Officials called off both the start of operations to remove of 500,000 gallons of fuel and the search for people still missing after determining the Costa Concordia had moved four centimeters (an inch and a half) over six hours, coupled with waves of more than three feet.  An Italian professor said the ship could keep moving until it settles inthe seabed.

Sixteen crew and passengers remain listed as missing, with one body recovered from the ship not yet identified.

"Captain's Error" in Cruise Ship Disaster

Costa Cruises suggested Sunday that the accident which scuttled the Costa Concordia cruise ship off the Italian coast, resulting in at least five deaths, may be attributed to actions by the ship's captain.

In a statement, the cruise line said that it was working with investigators to find out how the accident occurred. "While the investigation is ongoing, preliminary indications are that there may have been significant human error on the part of the ship's master, Captain Francesco Schettino, which resulted in these grave consequences.

"The route of the vessel appears to have been too close to the shore, and in handling the emergency the captain appears not to have followed standard Costa procedures."

Apparently cruise ships are equipped with black boxes like airplanes.  This black box will be examined.
Schettino joined the cruise line Costa Crociere in 2002 as a safety officer and was appointed captain in 2006.

15 people remain unaccounted for following the late Friday accident, which led to a panicked evacuation of more than 4,000 people to the island of Giglio. Three people have been rescued from within the hulk of the ship, which is resting on its side close to shore.

Costa Cruises said its immediate priority is to account for all passengers and crew, and to secure the vessel, ensure no environmental impacts.

Dramatic Pictures of the Costa Concordia

The Costa Concordia cruise ship tipped and went aground off the coast of Italy on Saturday.

Some dramatic shots.