Costa Concordia: Human Remains Found
The Costa Concordia ran aground in January 2012. A total of 32 passengers were killed in the tragic accident. More than a year later, two people remain missing.
Italian authorities report human remains were discovered on deck four, which is currently submerged. Divers are working to recover the remains for identification.
Although the accident happened in 2012, the wreckage has not been removed from the Tyrrhenian Sea. Last week, the ship was finally rotated into an upright position.
As reported by CNN, Captain Francesco Schettino faces criminal charges of manslaughter, causing a disaster, and abandoning ship with passengers on board.
Authorities claim Schettino sent the Costa Concordia off course so he could salute a retired sea-captain. The captain was living on Giglio Island.
As the ship approached the shore, it struck a reef. The ship filled with water and came to rest on its side, along the island’s shore.
As reported by CBS News, Schettino denies the charges. He says the reef was not present on nautical charts. He also claims the passengers would have survived if the ship’s watertight doors had functioned properly.
The former captain says he should be honored for the 4,000 passengers he saved.
Witnesses reportedly saw Schettino “on shore looking for dry socks” as the ship sank.
More than 4,000 people were rescued. However, 30 others were found dead. The other two were presumed dead as their bodies were never found.
The missing include passenger Maria Grazia Trecarichi of Sicily and cruise waiter Russel Rebello of India.
Civil Protection chief Franco Gabrielli says the Trecarichi and Rebello families were notified. Members of both families traveled to Giglio Island to await further information.
Authorities are fairly certain the remains belong to at least one of the missing people. However, it is impossible to tell without forensic testing. Results from the autopsy and DNA testing could take weeks.
The Costa Concordia will remain in the Tyrrhenian Sea until a complete mechanical and structural inspection is complete.
[Image via Wikimedia]
