The Costa Allegra is no longer adrift. The cruise ship, which has been at a standstill since Monday in the Indian Ocean off the Seychelles due to a breakdown caused by a fire on board, was towed by the French fishing vessel "Trevignon" which is taking it to the island of Mahè (and not in Desroches, as originally planned).
The arrival is expected on Thursday, but in the meantime the passengers (who are all well) are assisted by a Costa helicopter which, in constant communication with the ship, is providing food, cell phones for making calls, comfort items and flashlights.
Since the incident occurred in international waters, the competence for a possible investigation (at the moment the authorities exclude the malicious hypothesis) lies with the Prosecutor of Genoa, the city where the company has its registered office. This was reported today by the chief prosecutor, Michele Di Lecce, limiting himself to saying that the case will be examined and that it is too early to say whether or not an investigation will be opened.
Meantime Codacons has started the procedures for a new compensation action against Carnival and Costa Crociere. “While waiting for the passengers to disembark, it is evident that the travelers on board the Costa Allegra have suffered considerable damage, of a material type (ruined holiday, services paid for and not used) and of a moral type (fear and stress due to the fire that broke out on board )”, the association announced. According to the President Carlo Rienzi, "these damages will have to be adequately compensated, and if Costa Cruises limits itself to almsgiving compensation as in the case of the Concordia, passengers would even have the possibility of joining the group action launched in the USA in following the shipwreck of the Giglio”.
