It was like a scene from the Titanic': At least three dead and 4,200 panicked passengers and crew evacuated after luxury cruise liner carrying Britons sinks off coast of Italy

'It was like a scene from the Titanic': At least three dead and 4,200 panicked passengers and crew evacuated after luxury cruise liner carrying Britons sinks off coast of Italy

• Costa Concordia developed electrical fault two hours after leaving port
• Three bodies recovered from water and 4,200 passengers and crew evacuated
• One victim, 65, died from heart attack following shock of cold water
• Passengers 'forced to leap into the water to swim to safety'
• Liner had listed so badly 'lifeboats had difficulty being launched' 
  
• 24 Britons on board but none believed to have died or been injured

rescued last night after a packed cruise liner began capsizing off the Italian coast after running aground.

 

Twenty-four British holidaymakers were on the Costa Concordia which had left port at 7pm for a seven-day Mediterranean Cruise - but within two hours, it ran aground in the sea with a major electrical fault.

The 13 deck liner then began to take on water after hitting rocks creating a 160ft gash in the hull, near the island of Giglio, off the Tuscan coast,

Passengers said the ship had begun to sink so much it was difficult to launch lifeboats, while some said they saw holiday-makers leaping into the water to swim to safety.

 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2086527/Costa-Concordia-accident-Pictures-cruise-ship-sinking-coast-Italy-Titanic-like-scene.html#ixzz1jR7Cg51M