Dozens Still Missing From Cruise Ship

As of this morning, authorities in Italy said up to about 70 people remain unaccounted for after a huge luxury cruise ship ran aground and tipped on its side near the Tuscany coast, reports AP. It's possible that number could come down as authorities get a better handle on the evacuation of more than 4,200. Three bodies have been recovered from the water so far. Early quotes from survivors don't exactly paint a picture of organization aboard the Costa Concordia after it ran aground:

• "It was so unorganized, our evacuation drill was scheduled for 5 pm," says a Connecticut woman. "We had joked 'What if something had happened today?'"
• "Have you seen 'Titanic?' That's exactly what it was," says a Los Angeles woman.
• "We had to scream at the controllers to release the boats from the side," says a South African man. "We were standing in the corridors and they weren't allowing us to get onto the boats. It was a scramble, an absolute scramble."
• And this: One woman says a couple desperately handed her their 3-year-old daughter as they were losing their balance in the ship. "I grabbed the baby. But then I was being pushed down. I didn't want the baby to fall down the stairs. I gave the baby back. I couldn't hold her. I thought that was the end and I thought they should be with their baby." It's not clear whether they survived.

(More cruise ships stories.)