Costa Crociere has issued the following statement relating to the incident that took place in Tunis as the Costa Fascinosa has left the port early Thursday morning:

Costa Crociere confirms that Costa Fascinosa left Tunis port at 1.55 am. The Captain reported that  there are still 13 passengers who did not return back onboard at the time of departure.
12 Costa Care Team members and 2 Costa headquarters directors are already operative in Tunis to liaise with the local Authorities and to ensure the appropriate assistance is granted. 3 additional Care Team members will reach Tunis tomorrow morning. The Company is in close contact with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Local Security Authorities, the Captain of Costa Fascinosa and our local Port Agent for a continuous assessment of the situation on site and its evolution. Costa Crociere expresses its sympathy to all the people and their families involved in today’s tragic event.