It's
unbelievable, almost a joke had it not been so very tragic, that of
the shipwreck of the cruiser in Italy, the Costa Concordia.
Women,
children & old folks were not the first to abandon ship, nor the
Captain was the last. According to survivors, they were told it was just
an electric break-down, and a video showed a passenger asking a member
of the crew why he was wearing a life jacket when there had been no
order to do so over the loud-speakers. To evade direct answer the
jacketed guy said he couldn't understand the language of the inquirer.
Would it have been the same answer given on calm water when a passenger
asked for a bottle of Champagne?
To
begin with, how could it hit a rock in fine and calm sea, when the
rock had always been there on the same spot? The last passenger was
evacuated at 6 a.m. but the Captain had left the ship the night before.
The crew members too, were as panicky as the passengers. Who is to pay
for the human and moral damages? Who is to assume the negligence? Who
is responsible letting the ship 'ran riot' in the ocean unprepared, ill
equipped, with inefficient crew and irresponsible captain? There had
not even been a simulation exercise to educate passengers in case of an
emergence as the regulation specified.
Foot
Note: A personal friend of mine & his family took a 10 day cruise
round the Mediterranean last Christmas on the cruiser MSC Fantasia.
They did have an exercise of simulation ... on the last night hours
before the end of the voyage (!!), with ludic and festive
characteristics as if just another on board activities, an organised
entertainment with passengers taking part. Or was it because they were
not sure of able to land safely? I can't help wondering whether the ship
orchestra was under order to play till the last unavoidable moment?
Tags: costaconcodia
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