Cruise ship Carnival Vista is reported to have swamped piers and many smaller leisure craft when leaving the port of Messina, Sicily on Sunday.
Messina’s port has a protective ‘C’- shaped industrial zone for large vessels and cruise ships, with piers at the entrance and exit providing mooring for smaller craft. Apparently when leaving the “safe” zone the Carnival Vista came very close to the piers. The thrust from its stern created a turmoil which turned over the piers and swamped smaller moored vessels, several of which sank.
The ship then headed out of the port.
The weather was reportedly calm at the time and passengers said that there were no announcements from the captain regarding the incident, which had caused strong rocking.
Italian newspapers said on Monday that the local port authority was conducting an investigation regarding the incident. One newspaper claimed that that there was E250,000 in damage, with two piers destroyed, a number of facilities such as anchor lines damaged, a pilot of the mooring sunk and another dozen small boats in poor condition.