Cruise ship capsizes in Mediterranean
- 12 years ago
On terra firma - finally.
Hundreds of vacationers land safely in Italy, hours after their cruise ship ran aground and capsized in the Mediterranean Sea, killing at least three.
With teary eyes, they step off a ferry after being plucked from the stricken Costa Cordia on Saturday.
The 290-metre long ship ran into a sandbar near the island of Giglio, before tipping over onto its side.
One passenger described the scene.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIDENTIFIED PASSENGER OF CRUISE SHIP "COSTA CONCORDIA" SAYING:
"We had a blackout and everybody was just screaming. All the passengers were running up and down and then we went to our cabins to learn what was goIng on and then they said that we should stay calm - it is nothing it is just some electric problem or just some blackout thing. But the ship was already tilted, so you can imagine the ship already like this (USES HIS HAND TO INDICATE HOW SHIP WAS LISTING TO ONE SIDE)."
Rescuers are still searching the chilly waters around the island.
The cruise ship was carrying around 4,000 people and had just embarked on a winter Mediterranean cruise.
The cause of the accident is still being investigated.
Andrew Raven, Reuters
Hundreds of vacationers land safely in Italy, hours after their cruise ship ran aground and capsized in the Mediterranean Sea, killing at least three.
With teary eyes, they step off a ferry after being plucked from the stricken Costa Cordia on Saturday.
The 290-metre long ship ran into a sandbar near the island of Giglio, before tipping over onto its side.
One passenger described the scene.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIDENTIFIED PASSENGER OF CRUISE SHIP "COSTA CONCORDIA" SAYING:
"We had a blackout and everybody was just screaming. All the passengers were running up and down and then we went to our cabins to learn what was goIng on and then they said that we should stay calm - it is nothing it is just some electric problem or just some blackout thing. But the ship was already tilted, so you can imagine the ship already like this (USES HIS HAND TO INDICATE HOW SHIP WAS LISTING TO ONE SIDE)."
Rescuers are still searching the chilly waters around the island.
The cruise ship was carrying around 4,000 people and had just embarked on a winter Mediterranean cruise.
The cause of the accident is still being investigated.
Andrew Raven, Reuters