House arrest for captain of Italian ship, as deaths rise

An Italian judge ordered Tuesday that the captain of the Costa Concordia cruise ship, Francesco Schettino, be held under house arrest, Ansa news agency reported. Grosseto Magistrate Valeria Montesarchio made the decision after a day of questioning, in which Schettino confirmed he was steering the cruise liner when it ran aground off Italy's coast, dpa reported. "It was me who was in command of the ship," Francesco Schettino was quoted by Italian media as saying to prosecutors in Grosseto, where an investigation into the accident was taking place. Meannwhile, officials said the confirmed death toll had risen to 11 after five more bodies - those of one woman and four men - were found on the wreck, which capsized late Friday near Giglio, a tiny island off Italy's western shore. A total of 22 people were still unaccounted for, according to the latest Italian media reports. One German national listed among the missing was traced on Tuesday, leaving 12 others still unaccounted for, according to the German Foreign Ministry. Schettino, who has been held in police custody since Saturday, has been blamed by the ship's owner, Costa Crociere, for changing the course of the liner, which had 4,200 people on board, and steering it dangerously close to Giglio - possibly to salute a colleague and tourists gathered by the water. He faces charges of multiple manslaughter and of abandoning the ship, and could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison if convicted. After questioning the captain, Grosseto prosecutor Francesco Verusio said the accusations against Schettino "had not changed," according to Italian media reports. Judges said they would now consider the prosecutor's request for the arrest to be confirmed. Italian news agency Ansa quoted sources close to the investigation as saying that the captain is to be tested for illegal drugs. Earlier Tuesday, potentially damning evidence of Schettino's conduct after the ship ran aground emerged in the form of a leaked radio conversation between him and the commander of the Livorno port authority, Gregorio De Falco, on the night of the accident. Having learned that Schettino has abandoned the stricken vessel before all the passengers had been evacuated, De Falco is heard shouting at the Costa Concordia captain to get back on board. "Get on the boat and tell me how many people are on board. Understood? Tell me if there are children, women or people in need of assistance ... Is that clear?" De Falco tells him. Schettino's failure to comply prompts De Falco to say: "Without courtesy, go on board now, assure me that you are going on board. Captain, this is an order ... You have declared the evacuation of the ship, now go and coordinate the rescue from the prow. There are already bodies." Divers on Tuesday used micro depth charges to remove obstacles and debris as they made their way into the partially sunken ship to search for the missing. Coast guard spokesman Filippo Marini told dpa that the five bodies found in the afternoon belonged to people aged between 50 and 60 and that they were wearing orange life jackets, suggesting they were passengers. Meanwhile, a German passenger who survived the accident leveled serious criticism at the crisis management on board the Costa Concordia. Filip Dudde, 33, who was celebrating his honeymoon with his wife aboard the ship, said passengers had not been fully informed about the accident. He told dpa that loudspeaker announcements said: "We have everything under control," when the ship was already listing. It was just an "electric fault," passengers were told. "The crew didn't know what to do," Dudde said of the rescue operation. Access to the lifeboats was denied. "Nobody calmed any of the passengers," he said, adding that they were just told to wait for instructions. He said the he had to wait 20 minutes before their lifeboat was released from the ship. According to meteorologists, the weather was expected to remain good until Thursday, when rough waters and strong winds were expected. Rescue operations were due to continue throughout the night, after darkness had fallen on Giglio. Meanwhile, environment group WWF has called for new rules aimed at avoiding a repeat of the tragedy, which has taken place in a sanctuary for whales and dolphins. Italian Environment Minister Corrado Clini said no fuel had been seen flowing into the sea from the wreck, but added that it was a danger to the environment and that fuel must be quickly pumped off. About 2,300 tons of fuel were on board the ship, which is lying on its side in shallow water.