GIGLIO, Italy (Reuters) – The captain of the cruise ship Costa Concordia, which struck a rock and capsized off Italy, told magistrates he informed the ship’s owners of the accident immediately, denying he delayed raising the alarm, judicial sources said yesterday.
Captain Francesco Schettino has been blamed for causing the Jan. 13 accident in which at least 12 people died. He is under house arrest, accused of multiple manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship before all passengers were evacuated.
His statements to prosecutors investigating the disaster, reported in the Italian press and confirmed by judicial sources, underline the growing battle between him and the 114,500-tonne vessel’s operator, Costa Cruises.
