On January 13, 2012, the ship "Costa Concordia" under the command of Captain Francesco Schettino hit an underwater rock. It happened in a calm sea. The vessel received a 50-meter hole in the hull, which led to the flooding of the engine room, loss of speed and failure of the electrical system. Soon the ship sank. The accident killed 32 people.
Cruise ship "Costa Concordia"
The order for the construction of the Costa Concordia liner in 2004 was received by the shipbuilding company Fincantieri from the major international cruise operator Carnival Corporation. The ship was built at the shipyard in Sestri Ponente, in the suburbs of Genoa. Here he was launched on September 2, 2005.
During the launching ceremony, a bottle of champagne was not smashed on board, which is considered a bad omen by sailors. On June 30, 2006, the ship was handed over to Costa Crociere, a subsidiary of the Carnival Corporation. The construction of the liner cost $ 570 million.
The length of the Costa Concordia was 290.2 meters. The vessel was equipped with six 12-cylinder diesel generators with a total capacity of 76.6 megawatts (102,780 horsepower). These generators provided power for everything from propellers to air conditioners. The design speed of the vessel was 19.6 knots (36 km / h), and during sea trials it reached 23 knots (43 km / h).
The Costa Concordia had approximately 1,500 cabins. Of these, 505 with balconies and 55 with direct access to the spa. The ship also had a fitness center with a gym, thalassotherapy pool, sauna, Turkish bath and solarium.
The ship had four swimming pools. Two of them are with retractable roofs and five are with a jacuzzi. There were five on-board restaurants and thirteen bars, including a cigar and cognac. A three-level concert hall, a casino and a futuristic disco were intended for the entertainment of passengers. There was also a children's corner, internet cafes and motorsport simulators.
Liner wreck
The Costa Concordia, with 3206 passengers and 1,023 crew on board, made a seven-day cruise in the Mediterranean. On the night of January 13, the ship passed by the island of Isola del Giglio.
At the insistence of Costa Cruises managers, the ship's captain approached the island to greet those gathered ashore. A festival was held on the island that day. The usual cruise route ran 8 kilometers from the coast.
At about 21:45, the liner ran into the reef. As a result, a huge hole was formed on the port side below the waterline. Soon, water began to flow into the engine room. The generators are out of order. The electrical equipment has failed. Without thrust, on emergency electricity, the ship continued to move northward by inertia. It did not lose control.
At about 22:10, the vessel, apparently under the influence of currents, began to drift in the opposite direction. The list of the ship has increased. From the initial 20 degrees to 22:44, it reached 70 degrees. At 22:48, the liner settled on the rocky seabed. And only at 22:54 the captain gave the order to leave the ship.
After the sinking, the passengers in lifeboats and helicopters were evacuated ashore. 40 people are missing. Half of them were later found inside the ship, when many were already dead.
Why did the ship sink? The report of a technical investigation carried out by the Italian Maritime Guard Corps has not yet been published. International experts are also wondering why the ship capsized so quickly, despite the watertightness of its compartments. So, we will not know the answer to this question so soon.
