Rescue teams working to determine how many missing from ship
- 12 years ago
ROUGH CUT - NO REPORTER NARRATION
The number of passengers missing after an Italian cruise ship ran aground overnight was still unclear, the head of the rescue operation said on Saturday (January 14) afternoon.
The figure of the people unaccounted for could range anywhere between zero and 40, Ennio Aquilini, head of the fire brigade's rescue operation said.
According to a police chief in the nearby town of Grosse to the operation was complex because some passengers may have jumped into the sea and not been picked up by rescuers, while others may have been sheltered in private houses and not yet identified.
At least three people were killed and rescuers were searching for other victims after the ship carrying more than 4,000 people ran aground and keeled over in shallow waters.
Dozens were injured after the 114,500-tonne Costa Concordia hit a sandbar near the island of Giglio off the coast of Tuscany as passengers sat down to dinner on Friday (January 14) evening.
Passengers spoke of panic and described some people leaping into the sea from the listing ship, which finally came to rest on its side, with decks partly submerged, a few hundred meters from the shore.
Photographs showed a large gash along its side but officials declined to speculate on what had caused the accident in calm seas close to the shore.
Rescue efforts were continuing after a night-time operation involving helicopters, ships and lifeboats.
Police and passengers quoted on television spoke of people jumping off the 290-meter-long ship, a floating resort hotel with spas, theaters, swimming pools and a discotheque.
There was no word on the identities of casualties.
Most of the passengers were believed to be Italian but people of several other nationalities were thought to be on board. British consular officials traveled to the area.
The number of passengers missing after an Italian cruise ship ran aground overnight was still unclear, the head of the rescue operation said on Saturday (January 14) afternoon.
The figure of the people unaccounted for could range anywhere between zero and 40, Ennio Aquilini, head of the fire brigade's rescue operation said.
According to a police chief in the nearby town of Grosse to the operation was complex because some passengers may have jumped into the sea and not been picked up by rescuers, while others may have been sheltered in private houses and not yet identified.
At least three people were killed and rescuers were searching for other victims after the ship carrying more than 4,000 people ran aground and keeled over in shallow waters.
Dozens were injured after the 114,500-tonne Costa Concordia hit a sandbar near the island of Giglio off the coast of Tuscany as passengers sat down to dinner on Friday (January 14) evening.
Passengers spoke of panic and described some people leaping into the sea from the listing ship, which finally came to rest on its side, with decks partly submerged, a few hundred meters from the shore.
Photographs showed a large gash along its side but officials declined to speculate on what had caused the accident in calm seas close to the shore.
Rescue efforts were continuing after a night-time operation involving helicopters, ships and lifeboats.
Police and passengers quoted on television spoke of people jumping off the 290-meter-long ship, a floating resort hotel with spas, theaters, swimming pools and a discotheque.
There was no word on the identities of casualties.
Most of the passengers were believed to be Italian but people of several other nationalities were thought to be on board. British consular officials traveled to the area.