14 years have passed since the shipwreck of the Costa Concordia, but the wound linked to that tragedy has never healed. It was almost 10pm on January 13, 2012 when the cruise ship hit Le Scole, a group of rocks off the coast of Giglio Island, in the Tuscan Archipelago. All this happened following the so-called “bow”, a deviation made by commander Francesco Schettino to greet those on the mainland, getting as close as possible to the coast.
The violent impact caused a large gash in the hull of the Concordia, which set sail from the port of Civitavecchia towards Savona, and the partial sinking of the ship.
In a few minutes what should have been a holiday turned into a nightmare for over 4 thousand passengers. That terrible human error and the delays in rescue cost the lives of 32 people, while 157 passengers were injured.
A drama that could have been avoided
As is sadly known, for about an hour the tourists remained on board while the ship took on water without receiving clear indications. Some, unaware of what was really happening, returned to their cabins.
The order to put on life jackets was given only three quarters of an hour after the accident, when Schettino notified the Captaincy of the leak, requesting a tug as the ship listed to starboard. After this emergency signal, however, the order to abandon the vessel was not immediately given, making the situation even more complex and exposing thousands of passengers to danger.
But what caused the greatest stir in the whole affair was the gesture made by Commander Schettino, who violated the navigation code, setting foot on land when most of the people were still on board. Schettino didn’t want to get back on the ship even when the commander of the Port Authority of Livorno ordered him on the phone, for the umpteenth time, to do his duty. That absurd phone call still echoes in our minds, particularly in those of the survivors of the tragedy.
For what happened, Francesco Schettino was sentenced to 16 years in prison for multiple manslaughter and abandoning ship with passengers on board.
The environmental damage caused by the shipwreck
The one that occurred off the coast of Giglio Island represents one of the most terrible shipwrecks in the history of our country not only for the dramatic death toll, but also for the numerous damage caused to the marine ecosystem. The anniversary of the event puts the spotlight back on the risks associated with large ships, the eco-monsters that too often come close to the coasts, endangering human lives and the environment.
The wreck remained in front of Giglio Island for about a year and a half, until July 2014, when it was removed and transported to the port of Genoa. The removal work was yet another coup de grace for the area’s environment, now also compromised by the presence of harmful substances with which the cruise ship was loaded: 2000 tons of fuel, but also heavy oils, paints, detergents and other polluting products.
The delicate reclamation operations of the seabed area of Giglio Island were concluded only in 2018.
“The sentence for the sinking of the Costa Concordia is the last one we would like to see for this kind of ‘accidents’” WWF Italy declared the day after the ruling by the Court of Grosseto, which was a civil party in the trial with a role that was essential to evaluate the serious consequences caused to the environment and the landscape by the Costa Concordia accident.
14 years after the tragedy, the wound caused by that shipwreck has still not healed. And it still burns for many – too many – reasons…
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