DISASTER

Ship Cpt. to Port: Just a Blackout

New audio emerges from 30 minutes after crash.

The captain of the Costa Concordia apparently told Livorno port officials 30 minutes after the crash that there was just a blackout onboard the cruise ship, according to a new audiotape released Thursday. The recording between Francesco Schettino and port officials began at 10:12 a.m., a full 30 minutes after the ship rammed into a reef off the coast of the island of Giglio. Schettino said he is checking the reasons for the blackout, and answered “check” when asked if the passengers had been told to put on life jackets. Schettino is currently under house arrest and facing charges of manslaughter and abandoning the sinking vessel. Audio released Wednesday revealed that the port officials had to beg Schettino to return to the ship after he came ashore. Eleven people have been confirmed dead and 21 are still missing from the shipwreck.