NEW ORLEANS - Nearly two dozen people are still unaccounted for after that cruise ship accident off the coast of Italy last Friday.
Unfortunately, 11 people were killed when the ship carrying more than 4,200 passengers slammed into a reef and flopped on its side.
The ship's captain has been accused of abandoning ship, as heard in these coast guard recordings:
Port Authority: You go on board. It is an order! You cannot make any other evaluations. You have declared abandoning ship. Now I'm in charge. You get on board! It is clear?
Port Authority: There are already bodies, Schettino.
Capt. Francesco Schettino: How many dead bodies are there?
Port Authority: I don't know! I know of one. I've heard of one. You are the one to tell me how many there are. Christ!
It's believed this catastrophe could have been avoided with better implementation and enforcement of the International Safety Management Code.
Local maritime industry consultant, Kevin Gilheany, was in the studio Thursday to explain that position.
