Costa Concordia ship captain transcript released- ignores orders!

A dramatic recording has been released apparently revealing how the captain of a capsized cruise liner ignored orders to go back to the ship he had abandoned.Francesco Schettino told port authorities everything was fine shortly before the vessel sank, it has emerged.

He claimed there was only a "small technical failure" - but in fact the Costa Concordia had already run aground, according to the timings of the radio conversation obtained by Italian media.

Schettino is appearing in court charged with manslaughter, abandoning ship and causing a shipwreck - all of which he denies.

The liner crashed into rocks off the Tuscan coast near the island of Giglio on Friday night.

Officials said last night a total of 29 people remained missing, while six have been confirmed dead.

Rescuers searching for survivors have been using explosives to blast holes into the vessel.

Two controlled explosions were carried out early this morning to allow firefighters and scuba divers to enter parts of the ship that they had not yet been able to search.

Transcripts of taped telephone conversations released by authorities suggested Schettino was evasive when ordered by a port official to supervise the rescue.

Prosecutors suspect Schettino and his first officer left the ship as much as up to three hours before all the passengers and crew were taken off. What are you doing? Are you abandoning the rescue? Captain, this is an order, I am the one in charge now. You have declared abandoning ship. There are already bodies.

Coastguard official's instructions to Francesco Schettino

"Now you go to the bow, you climb up the emergency ladder and co-ordinate the evacuation," the official reportedly tells him.

"You must tell us how many people, children, women and passengers are there and the exact number of each category.

"What are you doing? Are you abandoning the rescue? Captain, this is an order, I am the one in charge now. You have declared abandoning ship. There are already bodies."

"How many?" Schettino says, to which the official responds: "That is for you to tell me, what are you doing? Do you want to go home?"

Schettino said in an earlier telephone call that: "(We) cannot get on board because the rear of the ship is keeling over."

At the weekend he had insisted that he was last to leave the ship.

Costa Concordia

A total of 4,200 people were on board the Costa Concordia when it crashed

He has been accused by the vessel's owner, Costa Cruises, of sailing close to land to "make a salute".

It has been reported that junior officers on board the Costa Concordia led a 'mutiny' after the ship struck a reef and Schettino dithered in giving the order to abandon the stricken vessel.

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[ViperBitenESP]

What a disgrace the captain is a coward and only cared for his own well being .... No honor and he should be punished and I agree with everyone line him up and shoot him dead .... No forgiveness will be given for this also they reported a young woman was with him just before crash it's not rocket science shame on you

[cody3ist]

Bastard...

[Mrpastry909]

Who does Schettino think he's kidding? Not only did he abandon the ship before all other passengers were evacuated, he claimed to be organizing the rescue from the lifeboats? How the hell can you coordinate an evacuation when you are far away safely seated in a lifeboat?

[pyramonitor]

Dragged and shot in front of the passengers and family's of the dead

[saddamdontsurf]

Typical Italian skipper . This isnt the first time .

[jeffy1219]

Can't believe this all happened because he wanted to show off his boat... Now its really being showed to the world..

[dilwich123]

E J SMITH will be turning in his watery grave.

[MrAlexfin]

schettino is a fucking coward! he will answer to god with blood on his hands. the (HONOURABLE) captain should be dragged out and shot in front of the surviving passengers.

[MFGamingVidZMF]

:L sounds so gay