Costa Concordia Cruise Victims Increase

Five more dead bodies were found Tuesday due to the sinking of cruise Costa Concordia. Italian rescue divers found the five corpses in the stern of the ship, which sank deep in the water. This means the death toll is 11 people while 29 are still missing.

The missing passengers’ nationalities were published in a list by the italian media, there are six Italians, 14 Germans, four French, two Americans and a Peruvian, who was part of the crew and worked as a waitress.

Authorities in the port of Livorno believe that the Captain of the ship, Francesco Schettino, abandoned it while passengers were still on board. “You get on board! This is an order!” the Coast Guard official said to the Captain. “You have declared ‘Abandon ship.’ Now I’m in charge. You get on board — is that clear?”, this conversation was presented at a court haring to determine if remains in jail.

Schettino is under arrest and may face charges that include manslaughter, shipwreck, and abandoning a ship when passengers were still on board. He could face up to 15 years in prison, Prosecutor Francesco Verusio said.

(MS)