Cruise ship captain has to face survivors

Europe’s top cruise operator came under pressure at pre-trial hearings into the Costa Concordia disaster as captain Francesco Schettino faced survivors for the first time.

Hundreds of people including lawyers and survivors attended the closed-door hearings in Grosseto in central Italy — the nearest city to the scene of the Jan 13 capsize of the luxury liner on Giglio island which claimed 32 lives.

The hearings will include the presentation of data taken from the ship’s “black box” and an analysis of the accident by a panel of experts.