The criminal case from a 2019 accident in which the cruise ship MSC Opera collided with a river cruise ship and the dock while arriving in Venice has ended. As a result, the captain and crew will see jail time.
The accident took place on June 2, 2019, as the MSC Opera was approaching the cruise terminal. Τhe cruise ship did not slow as it was approaching the dock and even appeared to possibly speed up as it hit Uniworld’s river cruise ship, and then the seawall. Passengers suffered minor injuries, while the river cruise ship sustained substantial damage.
According to experts, several mistake were made by the ship’s crew, with MSC Cruises seeking to blame the ship’s builder, Chantiers de l’Atlantique. As it cited, it claimed design flaws in the cruise ship.
Other issues cited by the experts regard the failure by the chief engineer and chief electrician to address a warning of a possible failure on the main electrical switchboard relating to the power supply to the engine and steering controls on the bridge. On the other hand, MSC said the alarm did not show up, blaming it on a design flaw.
In addition, the experts also reported that the cruise ship was traveling above the designated speeds. According to report, two tugboats did everything they could to slow the cruise ship, but without success. The captains of the tug were both exonerated.
Now, Italian media report that the Captain of the MSC Opera will face five months in prison, while the chief engineer and the chief electrician will each face two months in prison. Moreover, two more crew members will spend 10 days in prison, while other crew members, including the officer on watch, the co-navigator, and the security officer, were exonerated.
Finally, Uniworld, owners of the River Countess, has filed a nearly $14 million claim for the damages its vessel suffered.
