Spanish media (www.elmundo.es) reporting stories from the 188 Spaniards on board (one still missing):

At dinner: In spite of the almighty crash with plates, chairs and passengers thrown onto the floor, the Captain announced an “electrical problem” that “was being fixed”; all the lights went out in the dining room and when the emergency lighting came on, all the waiters had disappeared.

Timing: Two hours went by between the crash and the order to evacuate. Passengers were then told to head to deck 9, although the lifeboats were on deck 4.

Disorder and Chaos: When the order came to abandon ship, passengers were trampled by crew members who commandeered lifeboats for themselves and set off from the ship.

Captain and First Officer: abandoned the ship two hours before the last (known) passenger was taken off. Both have been arrested.

Lawsuits: Spanish passengers are already preparing lawsuits against the cruise line.

Sounds to me like Costa Cruises has some explaining to do, and then some training for ships’ personnel.