Costa Concordia salvage world's most complex and, at US$300m, costly
Recovery of liner Costa Concordia off Italy has become the world's most complex and expensive
The captain blamed for the sinking of the Costa Concordia cruise liner that killed 32 people shook hands with survivors and apologised yesterday at an Italian court hearing to decide if he should face a full trial.
The case of Francesco Schettino, 51, was of such interest that a theatre had to be turned into a courtroom in the Tuscan city of Grosseto to accommodate those who had a legitimate claim to be at the closed-door hearing.
Thirty-two people died after Schettino, in an alleged stunt, took his Costa Concordia cruise ship off course and brought it close to the Tuscan island of Giglio on the night of January 13. The ship then ran aground and capsized. Schettino drew global criticism for having left the ship before everyone was evacuated.
Hearings this week will help decide whether the judge will order a trial for Schettino, who is accused of manslaughter, causing the shipwreck and abandoning ship while passengers and crew were still aboard. He denies the accusations and hasn't been charged. Any trial is unlikely to begin before next year.
Eight others face charges, including crew members and officials at Costa Crociere, the company that owns the Concordia.
Luciano Castro, an Italian survivor at the hearing, said Schettino seemed "embarrassed" when they spoke. "The only thing he said -when I told him that I hope that the truth will soon be established - was, 'Yes, it needs to be established soon,'" Castro said.
Two German survivors who attended the hearing said Schettino had shaken their hands and said he was sorry.