Human error has been blamed for the Costa Concordia disaster, according to an official report into the tragedy.
The Italian ministry of infrastructure and transport reportedly concludes that “the human element is the root cause in the Costa Concordia casualty,” both in the first phase, “the unconventional action which caused the contact with the rocks,” and then the general emergency management thereafter.
The accident, when the ship ran around on rocks off the Italian island of Giglio, left 32 people dead and 157 injured.
The technical investigation report is said to make wide-ranging recommendations that address not only human element issues but also raises questions relating to cruise ship design and construction.
The ship’s captain is to go on trial on July 9. Francesco Schettino faces charges of multiple manslaughter and abandoning ship.