An accident happen this morning in the port of Savona during a docking maneuver of the cruise ship Costa Smeralda. The vessel hit and damaged a cargo crane, and one of the ship's lifeboats on the port side detached and crashed into the sea. The port authorities are investigating the accident and damages to the pier and the vessel.

Costa Cruises released a statement saying that there was no structural damage to the ship's hull and that the lifeboat was recovered immediately after the accident.

According to the authorities, weather conditions were good and the coast guard is excluding this as the cause of the accident. Fortunately, no one was injured on board the ship and on the pier. 

A video from the crash was released by local media, where you can see the lifeboat caught against a shoreside crane and ripped from the vessel. The damaged lifeboat is seen floating around near Costa Smeralda with the ship just meters from the pier.

Costa Cruises immediately released a statement and said they are working with the local authorities, offering maximum collaboration and taking action to conduct the investigations of the case in order to understand the dynamics of the incident. The company said that no injuries were recorded among the ground and on-board personnel.

Statement from Costa Cruises:

"Costa Cruises confirms that the Costa Smeralda hit a land crane in zone 16 of the port of Savona while calling for the quay this morning. Although there was no structural damage to the ship's hull, the contact caused a lifeboat to fall into the sea (due to a winch failure) and resultant damage to the lifeboat. The lifeboat was recovered immediately, and initial checks revealed no further damage to the ship's structure.

Costa Crociere staff and the relevant authorities are on site to clarify the causes of the incident. Costa immediately made himself available to the local authorities and offered full cooperation. The company immediately initiated the necessary investigations to understand the course of the event. Costa Crociere emphasizes that there were no injuries among the ground and flight crew. There were no passengers on board.

The Costa Smeralda will remain in the port of Savona as planned. Although the incident has no impact on the ship's fitness to sail, staying in port will also enable the necessary repairs to be carried out in the shortest possible time."