Experts fault captain, crew, Costa for Italy wreck

ROME (AP) -- Court-appointed experts have pointed the finger of blame primarily at the captain of a cruise ship that ran aground off Italy, killing 32, but also faulted the crew and ship owner for a series of blunders, delays and security breaches.

The Costa Concordia ran aground and capsized Jan. 13 off Tuscany's Giglio island after Capt. Francesco Schettino took it off course in a stunt. He and eight others are on trial.

In a 270-page analysis, the experts said a series of problems hobbled the response to Schettino's maneuver and contributed to the botched evacuation: crew members bungled directions, didn't understand orders and weren't trained in emergency drills.

And they said ship owner Costa Crociere delayed alerting coastal authorities of the emergency, a charge Costa denied Thursday.

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