Nine years after its illustrious launch, doomed Costa Concordia liner returns home to be turned into scrap



Former captain of Costa Concordia, currently on trial for manslaughter, provokes outrage over pictures of him at party

Captain Francesco Schettino photographed at publisher's exclusive VIP party on the holiday island of Ischia

The Costa Concordia sank on the coast off the Tuscan island of Giglio in January 2012, killing 32 people

Pictures of captain emerge as salvage operation continues, with wreckage of the ship towed to Genoa at the weekend


The shipwrecked Costa Concordia cruise liner made its final journey yesterday arriving in the northern Italian city of Genoa where it will be scrapped.

Pulled by tugboats for 200 miles and nudged by winds, the ship was eased into the port.



It took five days for the liner to reach the headquarters of ship owner Costa Crociere Spa where the luxury vessel first set sail after construction in 2005.



Thirty-two people were killed when the ship ran aground in the seas near the Tuscan island of Giglio in 2012, making it the worst maritime disaster since the Second World War.



Meanwhile, the captain has provoked anger as pictures emerged of him reportedly 'celebrating' a book deal at a publisher's exclusive VIP party on the holiday island of Ischia.

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Transported: The Italian cruise liner Costa Concordia sits today inside Genoa's Voltri Port, Italy. Thirty-two people died onboard when the ship ran aground in 2012

Docked: The wreckage of the Costa Concordia liner arrived near the northern Italian city of Genoa following a 200-mile towing operation At port in Genoa: The Costa Concordia dismantling operations are predicted to last two years It's here: The cruise liner was made floating again on July 14, 30 months after the cruise ship hit a reef and partly capsized off the island of Giglio in January 2012 The salvage operation for the ship - pictured as it is towed to Genoa today - is expected to be a long and expensive process that will take two years and cost 1.5billion euros The ship's captain Francesco Schettino has been a figure of ridicule and contempt since the accident, and local media suggested he was celebrating a book deal at the party.

He is currently on trial for manslaughter, with it alleged he performed a 'salute' to the island as he tried to impress his Moldovan lover - a former dancer who worked as a hostess on the ship. RELATED ARTICLES Previous

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Next 'He should be in the Middle East, not the UK': Peace envoy... Malaysia Airlines 'to change its name and restructure its... Friends of Magaluf 'Carnage' rep behind controversial sex... Share this article Share Local newspaper Il Golfo published the images, showing a tanned and happy-looking Schettino socialising at Italian publisher Pietro Graus's annual 'White Party'. The Sunday Telegraph reported Mr Graus defended inviting Schettino to his party. 'The commander was invited to the event that I organise every year for my publishing house,' he said.

The Costa Concordia, a huge floating hotel as long as three football pitches laid end to end, with 13 passenger decks, was carrying some 4,000 passengers and crew when it went down shortly after the start of a Mediterranean cruise Final journey: The Costa Concordia arriving at Genoa's Voltri Port. The ship's dismantling operations are expected to last two years As much of the country watched on as the wreckage of the ship, where 32 people died, was towed north, Capt Schettino was attending a VIP party in Ischia Locals in Genoa watch on as the massive ship - the length of three football fields - is slowly hauled in to the port where operations will begin to salvage scrap metal Four tugboats and several escort ships were lined up to tow the 114,000-tonne vessel to Genoa after the most daunting salvage operation ever attempted 'I have a duty to transfer all the pain, the anger of a man who has always had before him the silent and endless horizons of the sea.' Twitter users were quick express their condemnation of the captain. One wrote: 'The party organized by the editor @GrausEditore who wanted #Schettino as guest star. Pure disgust.' Even former tennis professional Angelo Mangiante weighed in on the debate, tweeting: '32 dead, 110 injured. And he, still #Schettino on vacation guest of honor among the VIPs of Ischia. I am ashamed of this Italy.' The wreckage of the 114,500-tonne Costa Concordia was lifted off the rocks and re-floated last week in preparation for its trip north where it will be salvaged for scrap.

Smiling: The former Costa Concordia captain Francesco Schettino pictured with two unidentified women at the VIP White Party event in Ischia, in the Bay of Naples. The photo was taken on July 19, while nearby salvage operations continued on the ship where 32 people perished

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi is expected in Genoa later today to hail the completion of the operation which restored some pride to Italy after a disaster that was widely interpreted as a national humiliation as well as a human tragedy. In contrast to the calamitous night of Jan. 13, 2012, when the Concordia came too close to shore during a display sometimes performed by cruise ships known as a 'salute', the salvage operation has been a resounding technical success. 'This is not a celebration. We have to think of the victims, but it has to be said that keeping the Concordia in Italy is a great occasion for our country,' Environment Minister Gian Luca Galletti told reporters at the port. 'We have excellent technology and we are capable of undertaking great things,' he said. The overall salvage effort is expected to cost Carnival Corp, owner of the ship's operator, Costa Cruises and its insurers more than 1.5billion euros.

Locals on the beach of Voltri use binoculars to watch the wreckage of the Costa Concordia getting towed into the Genoa port today

The captain of the ship is currently on trial for manslaughter - which he denies - after it is alleged he attempted a manoeuvre to show off to his mistress who was aboard the boat

Environmentalists were concerned the ship could split as it left port or during the four day voyage north, however it appears to have reached its destination intact