Seven months ago, the Costa Concordia capsized off the coast of Italy with more than 4,000 passengers on board, killing 32 people and capturing the world's attention. Since then thousands of tourists have flocked to the Tuscan island of Giglio to see the ill-fated cruise ship in person, The Daily Mail is reporting.
The macabre wreck remains half-submerged exactly as it came to rest on that fateful night. Due to the proximity of the wreckage to the coast, the tiny island of Giglio has seen a major spike in tourists as people flock to the beach or pay 10 euros to ride ferries that pass within mere feet of the sunken ship.
The accident occurred on Friday January 13 when the Costa Concordia's Captain Francesco Schettino made an unauthorized diversion from his programmed route to give a three-horn salute to Giglio Island, Discovery News reports. He has since been arrested and accused of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck, and abandoning his ship. Schettino's next hearing will begin on October 15.
The ship was originally expected to be removed from the site by mid-January 2013, but the deadline has since been extended to Spring 2013. The project was jointly undertaken by US company Titan Salvage and Italian firm Micoperi with an estimated cost of $300 million.
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