Costa Cruises says captain’s error may be to blame

Last updated Monday 09.00GMT

Costa Cruises says ‘significant human error’ may have led to Costa Concordia running aground.

The cruise ship owner has made the first official comment on the cause of the tragedy in which at least six people have died and 15 are still unaccounted for (see previous story).

It said that the ship was too close to the shore and questioned Captain Francesco Schettino’s judgment in handling the emergency.

Italian investigators are working on the theory that the £390million vessel sailed close to the island of Giglio to greet an officer from the Italian merchant navy who was friendly with those on the Concordia, according to the Daily Mail.

Last August the vessel passed close to the island sounding its whistle – prompting the mayor to send a congratulatory email to the captain for providing such a ‘spectacle to tourists’ and ‘fantastic entertainment’.

The captain denies any wrongdoing.

A statement on Costa Cruises website said: "We are aware that the lead Prosecutor has levelled serious accusations against the ship’s captain.

"While the investigation is ongoing, preliminary indications are that there may have been significant human error on the part of the ship’s Master, Captain Francesco Schettino, which resulted in these grave consequences.

"The route of the vessel appears to have been too close to the shore, and the Captain’s judgment in handling the emergency appears to have not followed standard Costa procedures."

The company confirmed that Schettino joined Costa Crociere in 2002 as a safety officer and was appointed captain in 2006, after acting as staff captain.

Italian police are conducting two investigations – one into the route the captain took and one into the evacuation of the ship.

First officer Ciro Ambrosio was also arrested and detained. Schettino will be held until next week when a judge will decide whether he should be released or formally arrested, according to newspaper reports.

Costa Cruises added: "Our immediate priority is to account for all passengers and crew and to secure the vessel to ensure that there are no environmental impacts.

"It should be noted that the Prosecutor in charge has seized the ship and the DVR– so called "black box" containing all navigation data and the vessel can be accessed by Costa only with permission from the authorities.

"As we are learning more about the event itself and the evacuation, however, it is becoming clear that the crew of the Costa Concordia acted bravely and swiftly to help evacuate more than 4,000 individuals during a very challenging situation.

"We are very grateful for all they have done."

By Diane Evans