2 Filipino Crew Hurt in Italian Cruise Shipwreck [with video]
by Pinoylive on 15/01/12 at 10:20 am
There were at least two Filipino crew members were hurt aboard the Costa Concordia cruise ship that ran aground last Friday off the coast of Grosetto in Tuscany, Italy, according to the Philippine Embassy in Rome.
In a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippine Ambassador to Italy Virgilio Reyes on Sunday said one of the seafarers had a broken arm while another suffered from hypothermia. They were among the 300 Filipino crew members from Magsaysay Maritime Corporation, the manning agency that supplied crew members for the ill-fated Costa Concordia.
Reyes did not identify the injured seamen.
But the envoy quoted a rescued Filipino crew member as having said “Filipino crew members are generally safe.”
“An official roll call (of the vessel ‘s 1,000 crew) is still being undertaken,” Reyes said.
The embassy had “dispatched a seven-man emergency response team to Grosetto to evaluate the situation on the ground and to provide the necessary assistance to Philippine nationals.”
“The Filipino seamen are being supported by Magsaysay Shipping Corp., their (Manila-based) manning agency,” according to the mission.
Initial reports reaching the embassy disclosed that the cruise ship ran aground “last Friday evening off the coast of Grosetto.”
“Around 4,000 persons were on board the vessel, including 4,000 crew members, around 300 of whom are Filipinos,” said the same reports.
“The Italian Coast Guard immediately responded to the scene to rescue the passengers, who were brought to the nearest island, Giglio, in emergency life boats. The passengers and Filipino crew members are temporarily housed at a church, hotels and schools in Giglio. Many of them have been transported to the mainland, the reports added.
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