An Italian tragedy: the Costa Concordia

costa concordia

January 13 marked the one year anniversary of the Costa Concordia wreck of off the cost Tuscany at the island of Giglio. On board, it carried 3200 passengers and 1000 crew members. It was twice the size of the Titanic.

A memorial service to remember the victims took place last Sunday. The boulder that originally tore a hole in the ship was returned to the sea bed with a plaque containing the victims’ name attached. A mass was held and the victims’ families tossed roses into the sea.

This tragic incident claimed 32 lives at exactly 9:45 p.m. The final death toll of 32 was reached when the bodies of a couple were recently discovered by workers. The ship’s captain is accused of mishandling the wreck and abandoning his ship, charges he maintains are untrue.

Environmentalists worry that upon righting the ship, toxic chemicals contained in the ship will spill into the surrounding marine sanctuary.

Efforts to remove the Concordia have been going on around the clock, but will not likely result in the removal of the massive ship until late this Summer. The total cost is expected to exceed 500 million dollars.

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