Italian rescue workers suspended operations Wednesday after the Costa Concordia shifted slightly on the rocks near the Tuscan coast. Weather forecasts say a storm is expected to reach the area on Thursday, prompting concerns that the semi-submerged cruise ship could sink entirely. The ship capsized after it ran aground on the tiny island of Giglio off Italy's Tuscan coast late Friday. 4,200 passengers and crew were on board. The death toll stands at 11 and 21 people are still missing.
The first victim from the Costa Concordia disaster was identified Wednesday, a violinist, 38, from Hungary who had been working as an entertainer on the cruise ship. Meanwhile crew members have distanced themselves from criticism that followed the night rescue. They say they guided hundreds of people onto lifeboats even after the captain had abandoned ship.
"Unlike the captain, we were there until the end. We did all we could to avoid catastrophe," said Andrea Carollo, third officer in the engine room. Another officer said the crew didn't wait for the captain to give the order to abandon ship, they saw how serious the situation was and they organized the evacuation themselves.
Captain under house arrest
The crew's accounts have been overshadowed by passenger complaints of chaos and poor communication during the evacuation and above all by the mistakes and alleged cowardice of Captain Francesco Schettino, who is accused of causing the accident and then abandoning ship.
In a dramatic phone conversation released Tuesday, a coast guard official was heard ordering Capt. Francesco Schettino, who had abandoned the ship with his first officers, back on board to oversee the evacuation.
But Schettino resisted, saying it was too dark and the ship was tipping dangerously. Italian Premier Mario Monti told a press conference in London that the disaster "could and should" have been avoided. He thanked the residents of Giglio for opening their doors to the 4,200 refugees who struggled ashore with nothing and were given clothes, food and shelter.
Monti acknowledged concerns about the 500,000 gallons of fuel still aboard the ship. "Everybody can be assured that the Italian authorities are both taking care of the prevention and limitation of any environmental negative implications of this accident," he said.
Author: Dagmar Breitenbach (AP, dpa, Reuters)
Editor: Michael Lawton
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