Rome, Jan 16: One Indian is missing in a luxury cruiser drowning incident off the Tuscan coast in Italy while 201 crew members from the country have been rescued, officials said here today.
As efforts were on to trace the missing Indian, the Indian government set up control rooms both in New Delhi as well as here to facilitate information about the rescue.
Indian embassy officials here said while one Indian named Robello Russel Terence, who was a waitor on the ill-fated Costa Concordia, was yet to be traced and efforts were on to verify other details about him, no casualty among the Indians has been reported so far.
The incident, which happened on Saturday, left six persons dead. The ship hit a reef or rock near the Tuscan island of Giglio, before it went down.
Spokesman of the Indian embassy here, Visvesh Negi, told PTI that “there were a total of 203 Indians on the ship - one passenger and 202 crew members”.
In Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs said it has set up control rooms to deal with enquiries about the Indians on board the ship.
“Out of the 202 crew members, 201 have been traced and are safe. One person is missing. We are co-ordinating with the Italian Government and trying to trace the missing crew,” Negi said.
Indian Ambassador to Italy, Debabatra Saha, along with two Indian officials, visited the accident spot and is coordinating the rescue operation.
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna had ordered immediate action to help the Indians onboard the ship, and had also asked Saha to reach the spot.
Krishna told his officials that there is no need for any papers, proof or documentation as the safety of Indians was the first option.
The luxury liner, Costa Concordia, was carrying more than 4,200 people, many of whom were having dinner at the restaurant, when it hit a reef or rock near the Tuscan island of Giglio.
While as many as 60 persons were injured in the incident, 15 persons, including crew and passengers were still unaccounted for.
The owner of the luxury liner Costa Crociere indicted the capitain of the ship, saying he had made “errors of judgement”, while conceding that the management of the emergency had not followed company procedures.
Captain Francesco Schettino and first officer Ciro Ambrosio was arrested on Saturday.
Prosecutors said Schettino had left the liner “well before” the last passengers were evacuated.
In Bangalore, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna today said one Indian crew member on board Italian cruise liner Costa Concordia that tipped over off the Tuscan coast in Italy on Friday night is missing and efforts are on to trace him.
“All of them have been rescued... only one Indian crew member Rebello Russell Terrance is missing and has not been traced yet,” he told reporters here.
He said India is making efforts to trace Rebello and in touch with his brother Kevin who has reached Italy. “We have directed our Ambassador to Italy to visit the spot of the tragedy ... He is on his way there,” he said.
The Ambassador has already deputed two officials to assist Italian authorities to trace Terrance, Krishna said. “We will share further information as and when we get it,” he said.
Krishna, however, said there was no information on whether more Indian crew members or passengers were on board Costa Concordia, which was carrying more than 4,200 people when it hit a reef or rock near the Tuscan island of Giglio.
The Indian government has set up a control room in Rome and New Delhi to coordinate rescue and relief operations.
At least 130 Indians were rescued on life boats yesterday after Costa Concordia ran aground, leaving six dead, none of whom were Indians.
