* Updates:
 jan.16 - Until now Six people died and still 16 are missing, most with German nationality. Costa Crociere said Costa Concordia’s captain may have erred by sailing too close to shore and ‘in handling the emergency appears not to have followed standard Costa procedures. Costa has engaged Smit-Salvage a top Dutch specialized salvage company to remove 2300 tons of heavy fuel oil. To develop an action plan to  establish a protection perimeter around the Costa Concordia to prevent eventually environmental damage.
Costa said in a statement: "The captain stayed aboard the ship for a long time after the accident and  moving the ship close to shore before grounding it. He may have saved many lives".

Jan.18 Eleven people are confirmed dead, while 24 are still missing.Rescuers are planning to bore three more holes in the hull to search for missing passengers. However the search for survivors on the Costa Concordia cruise ship has been deferred for the second time after sensors revealed the grounded vessel had shifted a few centimeters. For that reason the salvage comp.have the discharge of oil interupted.

Jan.19 Following the tragic Costa Concordia accident, Carnival Corporation & plc, parent company of Costa Cruises and nine leading cruise lines around the world, today announced a comprehensive audit and review of all safety and emergency response procedures across all of the company’s cruise lines. Carnival Corporation & plc and the cruise industry as a whole have maintained an excellent safety record over the years.“However, this tragedy has called into question our company’s safety and emergency response procedures and practices,” said Micky Arison, chairman and CEO of Carnival Corporation & plc.
In releated news, analysis of Lloyd's List Intelligence vessel tracking data shows that Costa Concordia sailed within 230 m of the coast of Giglio Island on a previous voyage, even closer to shore than where it hit rocks last Friday. Lloyd's List has uncovered new evidence which indicates that last Friday's Costa Concordia disaster may not be a black and white case of shipmaster error.

Jan. 24 Italian authorities confirmed 15 people dead and still 17 missing. The names of 9 dead people  are released. Costa Crociere on Monday denied there were ‘clandestine’ people on board the ship. Research has shown that the master does not has used drugs. Italian public prosecutor launched an investigation into the role of Costa Management. Such as selection procedures of captains, staff training, safety instructions, and why a number of lifeboats did not work.Thursday starts Smit Salvage with pumping oil out of the ship. Currently small amount of oil leaking from the ship.

Jan. 28 Divers found on Saturday the body of a woman, bringing the confirmed death to 17. Still 15 people are missing. Plans to begin pumping fuel out of the ship were suspended due to bad weather. Smit Salvage expect that the operation may be held up for several days until Tuesday due to the weather forecast.
The compensation package for Costa Concordia passengers is based on 11.000 euro including nonpaying children, regardless of their age. Reimbursement of the value of the cruise, any medical expenses resulting from the cruise etc. The families of the deceased and guests who were injured and required medical treatment on site will be covered under a separate proposal that will take into account their individual circumstances. Costa also has pledged not to deduct from this sum any amount paid by any insurance policy stipulated by guests. In addition, the company will return all goods stored in cabin safes, where retrieval is possible.
The Nautical Institute notes with extreme disquiet the alacrity with which the ship’s owners, Costa Cruises, blamed all on the Master, Captain Francesco Schettino, accusing him of unprofessional conduct before any investigations could have taken place. The Nautical Institute is also extremely uneasy with the speculation in much of the world’s media.

Febr. 2 Pier Luigi Foschi, chief executive officer of Costa Crociere, a unit of Carnival Corp. testified that Schettino called Roberto Ferrarini, Costa Crociere's head of marine operations at least six times before the call for evacuation was made. The first call was made at 9:57 pm when Schettino informed Ferrarini that the ship had hit a rock and was taking on water. Foschi's testimony seemed to contradict earlier claims that Costa officials were not notified of the accident until well after it occurred. Rescue workers decided to suspend searches of the underwater part of the capsized Costa Concordia.  According to fire department spokesman Luca Cari "We have definitively stopped the underwater search inside the ship." In the three weeks since the cruise ship struck rocks and capsized near the island of Gigli on the Italian coast, 17 bodies have been recovered, and 15 people are still missing. Officials said the search for bodies will continue when possible on the non-submerged part. Bad weather was also hampering efforts to recover fuel oil from the ship. At good weather conditions the oil removal will take about 4 weeks.
Costa Cruises has called for tenders 10 companies throughout the world to present a working plan to enterely remove the hull of the Costa Concordia.
The invitation has been sent to the world’s leading operators, who have the capabilities to perform the work in the shortest time possible, while ensuring maximum safety and the least possible environmental impact: 1) Smit Salvage BV, 2) Svitzer Salvage BV, 3) Mammoet Salvage BV, 4) Titan Salvage, 5) Resolve Marine Group Inc., 6) T&T Marine Salvage Inc., 7) Donjon Marine Inc., 8) Tito Neri S.r.l., 9) Fukada Salvage & Marine Works Co. Ltd., 10) The Nippon Salvage Co Ltd.
The plans must be presented to Costa Cruises by the beginning of March 2012, for joint assessment with the Civil Protection Scientific Committee, in order to allow the best one to be selected by the end of March 2012. Time needed for complete removal will be about 10 months.

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