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Italy deaths as Genoa ship hits control tower Italy deaths as Genoa ship hits control tower
(about 1 hour later)
At least three people have died and up to six are missing after a ship crashed into a control tower in the Italian port of Genoa, reports say. At least three people have died and up to six are missing after a container ship crashed into a control tower in the Italian port of Genoa.
Part of the tower is said to have crashed into the water when it was hit by the Jolly Nero container ship. The Jolly Nero smashed into the concrete and glass tower late at night, reducing it to rubble.
Four people were taken to hospital, but others are feared to be in the water or trapped inside the tower. Three people were reported to have been trapped inside a lift that fell into the water as the tower collapsed.
The crash triggered a frantic night-time search operation in the waters around the tower. Rescue workers have been searching in the rubble for survivors while divers scoured the water around the dock.
The cause of the crash - whether human error or mechanical fault - has not yet been confirmed. The accident occurred at about 23:00 on Tuesday night (21:00 GMT), when a shift change was taking place in the control tower and as many as 14 people were inside.
The ship was manoeuvring out of the port with the help of tugboats in calm conditions, on its way to Naples, reports said.
'Utterly shocked'
The cause of the crash was not immediately clear, but Genoa's Il Secolo XIX newspaper quoted the Jolly Nero's captain as saying that two engines appeared to have failed and "we lost control of the ship".
The head of the Genoa Port Authority, Luigi Merlo, told the newspaper: "It's very difficult to explain how this could have happened because the ship should not have been where it was."
The ship's owner, Stefano Messina, who arrived at the port soon after the crash, had tears in his eyes as he told journalists: "We are all utterly shocked. Nothing like this has ever happened before, we are desperate."The ship's owner, Stefano Messina, who arrived at the port soon after the crash, had tears in his eyes as he told journalists: "We are all utterly shocked. Nothing like this has ever happened before, we are desperate."
One of the victims was thought to be a woman in her 30s, while the other two were male.
"It's a terrible tragedy. We're in turmoil, speechless," Port Authority President Luigi Merlo told local TV."It's a terrible tragedy. We're in turmoil, speechless," Port Authority President Luigi Merlo told local TV.
Emergency services said it was not clear whether those still missing were trapped in the lift which had fallen into the water or were in the sea itself, reports said. All that was left of the control tower after the crash was a buckled metal exterior staircase.
The accident is said to have occurred at about 23:00 on Tuesday night (21:00 GMT), when a shift change was taking place in the control tower - meaning more people were inside. "It was an incredible sight: the control tower was leaning perilously," the port's nightwatchman told La Repubblica newspaper.
The Coast Guard and Port Authority were both said to have staff working inside the tower. One of the victims was reported to be a 30-year-old man who worked for the coast guard.
The ship was manoeuvring out of the port with the help of tugboats in calm conditions, reports said. The other two victims had not been identified.
The huge tower was bent by the impact of the collision and part of it reportedly fell into the sea.
Genoa's prosecutor is investigating the incident, Corriere Della Sera newspaper says. The ship has been impounded and the captain is being questioned.Genoa's prosecutor is investigating the incident, Corriere Della Sera newspaper says. The ship has been impounded and the captain is being questioned.
The Jolly Nero is almost 240 metres (787 feet) long and has a gross tonnage of nearly 40,600 tonnes. It is owned by the Italian firm Ignazio Messina & Co.The Jolly Nero is almost 240 metres (787 feet) long and has a gross tonnage of nearly 40,600 tonnes. It is owned by the Italian firm Ignazio Messina & Co.
It was bound for Messina, Sicily, at the time of the crash, reports say. The crash revived memories of the crash involving the Costa Concordia cruise ship off the Italian island of Giglio in January 2012, which left 32 people dead.
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