Genoa Tower Collapse – Updated
A rare collision between ship and building leaves up to 9 people dead when a container ship smashed into the 50-meter (170ft) port tower of Genoa, causing it to collapse. Seven people died and 2 remain missing from the tower collapse.*
The tower stood at the entrance to the so-called Old Port near the centre of Genoa when in the darkness the 1976-built ConRo vessel JOLLY NERO somehow collided with the building causing it to fall in to the harbour. The Italian flagged 40,594 ship was reportedly leaving the port when the accident occurred. It was noted that the night was clear, calm with good visibility, had a pilot on board and two tugs assisting the departure.
A ConRo vessel is a hybrid between a RORO (roll on/roll off) and a container ship with an aft-decks area used for vehicle storage with a ramp system, while stacking containers forward of the bridge.
The Genoa Tower was center for operation for the coast responsible for the northern sector of the Tyrrhenian sea. The radar at the top of the tower has the ability to detect ships up to 40 nautical miles off the coast.
An investigation continues.
*Earlier versions of the story incorrectly reported 10 people had died, and that 3 were from the cargo ship.
