All Indonesian Crews Survive From Costa Concordia Accident

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - All 170 Indonesian crews of Costa Concordia survived after luxury Italian cruise ship, Costa Concordia, sank in the Mediterranean Sea late Friday, information from the Foreign Affairs Ministry media said.

Quoting an information from Indonesian Embassy in Rome, Italy, Foreign Affairs Ministry Information Director PLE Priatna on Monday said it had been confirmed that no Indonesian nationals were among 40 people who remained missing.

Local media report said six people died after the Costa Concordia, on a trip around the Mediterranean, hit a reef near the Isola del Giglio and ran aground off the Italian coast, forcing the coast guard to evacuate over 4,000 people.

Most of the 3,200 passengers and 170 Indonesians among 1,000 crew members had been evacuated, but around 200 people were still on board of the ill-fated ship.

Priatna said the Indonesian Embassy in Rome was swift to help distribute additional food and clothing to the Indonesian crew members of the ill-fated ship.

"In cooperation with local authority, our embassy in Rome has been able to trace and identify around 80 Indonesians at three hotels, namely Leopoldo Grosetto, Nuovo Grosseto, and Fattoria la Principina in Italy," Priatno said.

Meanwile, Rome embassy spokesman Musrifun said the company which operated the ill-fated ship would facilitate the repatriation of Indonesian crew members to their home country.

Musrifun said most of the Indonesian crew members who survived in the accident had lost their passports and other belongings and therefore the embassy in Rome would provide them with letters of trip like passports.

According to Priatna, Indonesian embassy in Rome had open a special hot-line for Indonesian who would like to contact their surviving relatives in Italy.(T007)