Ship commanders under investigation for Venice crash

The Opera collides with a dock and a stationary tourist boat in Venice as people flee.

VENICE - MSC Cruises, the company whose vessel crashed in the Giudecca Canal injuring four people, has confirmed that the ship’s captain and pilot are among the six officials to have been placed under investigation following the incident.

 Venice’s Public Prosecutor has opened an inquiry into the accident to assess whether the ship’s commanders failed to comply with safety regulations. The ship’s rudder and black box have been impounded as part of the investigation.

 While the boat itself has not been seized, MSC have confirmed that the Opera, the ship in question, will be kept stationed in Venice for the duration of the investigation and have assured their full compliance with the inquiry. MSC later announced that passengers who have been unable to complete their itinerary due to the incident have subsequently been reimbursed the “full cost of their ticket and any services booked.”

 Venice was rocked Sunday morning when the Opera crashed into a wharf and a docked tourist boat in the heart of city, only a stone’s throw from St Mark’s Square. Four tourists, believed to be attempting to flee to parked vessel before the collision, were injured. They were all aged between 67 and 72, and of American, New Zealand and Australian descent. None are thought to be in a critical condition and two have already been discharged from hospital.

 The accident reignited calls for cruise ships to be diverted away from the heart of the lagoon city, something local authorities have been asking the government to tackle for over three years. Their calls to action have not yet been heeded despite frequent local objections. Residents regularly protest the arrival of such vessels which cause structural damage to the city, pollute the water, and unload thousands of tourists in one fell swoop into the city’s main square.

 “It is no longer conceivable that such ships use the Giudecca canal. We ask for the immediate opening of the Vittorio Emanuele,” Brugnaro tweeted shortly after the incident. Italy's leading politicians have since acknowledge the need to reassess the situation to ensure the safety and longevity of the city and its residents. 

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