Italian prosecutors: Costa Concordia passengers could have survived if captain ordered evacuation sooner
Italian prosecutors said Tuesday that 32 of the Costa Concordia's passengers died because the ship's captain didn't order an evacuation in time.
Francesco Schettino has been accused of causing the shipwreck, which happened near the Italian island of Giglio on Jan. 13, 2012. He has also been accused of manslaughter and of abandoning the ship before all 4,200 passengers were evacuated.
Prosecutor Alessandro Leopizzi apparently said that all passengers could have survived if Schettino had ordered evacuation more quickly, rather than resorting to an "each man for himself" tactic. Schettino's lawyers, meanwhile, argued that the ship suffered from equipment issues, and Schettino was trying to bring the ship closer to port.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Prosecutors delivered their final arguments in court on Tuesday, and a verdict in the 19-month trial is expected this week.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
-
The Icelandic women’s strike 50 years onIn The Spotlight The nation is ‘still no paradise’ for women, say campaigners
-
Mall World: why are people dreaming about a shopping centre?Under The Radar Thousands of strangers are dreaming about the same thing and no one sure why
-
Why scientists are attempting nuclear fusionThe Explainer Harnessing the reaction that powers the stars could offer a potentially unlimited source of carbon-free energy, and the race is hotting up
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
