As the ill-fated cruise ship Costa Concordia continue to float on its side, two more bodies are recovered

At least five, including the bodies of two elderly people have succumbed to the cold waters off the Italian Coast as rescuers try to account for the passengers on the ill-fated cruise ship Costa Concordia.

The bodies were found near the ship’s restaurant, still wearing their life jackets, Captain Cosimo Nicastro, Coast Guard spokesman told reporters.

The grim discovery came hours after a rescue crew found an Italian purser suffering from hypothermia, whose name was not released – trapped in a restaurant, more than 24 hours after the ship hit rocks off the coast of Tuscany, injuring at least 20 others in addition to the dead.

“It was total chaos, a giant every man for himself, just battling, mad scrambles!” said American student Brandon Warrick.

Warrick’s sister Amanda said that she feared that she was going to die as they waited for up to two hours for rescue. “Waiting was definitely the worst! Because we didn’t know who was going to coming and how much longer we would have to wait” she said

Speaking on Italian television, Francesco Schettino, the captain of the ill-fated cruise ship Costa Concordia insisted that the rocks were not marked on his map.”On the nautical chart it was marked just as water!” said Schettino, insisting that his ship should have been more than 100 meters from the rocks.

However, Nicastro, The Coast Guard spokesman, insist that the waters where the ship ran ground were well mapped. Nicastro went on to say that “Every danger in this area is on the nautical chart and this is a place where a lot of people come for diving and sailing . . . all the dangers are known.”

Subsequently, the captain was arrested and faces multiple charges of manslaughter, Italian police said. The Coast Guard investigation is ongoing to determine why the ship took the course it did.

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Ill Fated Cruise Ship Costa Concordia story continues