Dramatic new pictures have emerged of the panicked, final moments of the Costa Concordia as a damning new audio recording reveals the crew initially refused offers of help.
A taped ship-to-shore call, which took place 30 minutes after the liner hit a rock, reveals how senior officers on board were slow to act and intially denied there was anything seriously wrong.
The crew member was recorded telling the coastguard that the ship had suffered a power outage and said there was no emergency on board.
The conversation began at 10.12pm local time.
By then, many of the 4,200 passengers and crew had called relatives on their mobile phones asking them to alert the police, who in turn asked the coastguard to check on the state of the ship.
When asked by the coastguard if there are problems on board, the crew member replies: "We've had a blackout, we are checking the conditions on board."
:: Click here for an animated reconstruction of the Costa Concordia's final route based on AIS shipping navigational data.
Rescue teams work to find passengers and crew identified as missing
Despite further questioning by the port official, the crew member repeats that there has been a blackout, promising to keep the coastguard informed.
Meanwhile, divers are continuing to search for victims on the stricken cruise ship Costa Concordia in a race against time.
Forecasts of worsening weather are threatening to shift the ship off the rocks and send it to the bottom of the sea.
The head of the firefighters' diving team, Modesto Dilda, warned earlier of a "12 to 24-hour window to complete operations" but the chief firefighters spokesman, Luca Cari, has insisted there is no deadline set for completing the search.
Four more of those who lost their lives in the disaster have been identified.
Two bodies pulled from the wreckage earlier this week have been named as missing passengers Jeanne Gannard and Pierre Gregoire, both French nationals.
An Italian and a Peruvian have also been identified as emergency teams continue to look for the other 21 people still missing.
A satellite image of the Costa Concordia (Pic: Digital Globe)
Plans to remove oil from the capsized Costa Concordia have been delayed after the ship shifted precariously on a rocky ledge off the Tuscan coast.
Hopes of finding anyone alive have evaporated and salvage experts are keen to begin pumping 2,300 tonnes of fuel from the vessel's tanks.
Weather conditions had been favourable since the disaster struck - leaving at least 11 dead and 21 missing - but the search was suspended all day on Wednesday when the ship slipped by around 5ft (1.5m).
The search has resumed but with forecasters predicting the sea will get rougher over coming days, those carrying out the search and salvage teams are under mounting pressure.
Environment Minister Corrado Clini told parliament there was a risk the ship could slip down 164ft to 295ft (50m to 90m) from the reef it is resting on, sparking major pollution fears.
He said ship operator Costa Cruises had been instructed to ensure steps are "rapidly completed" to limit the damage if the ship's fuel tanks rupture, including putting in place some 3,280ft (1,000m) of pollution barriers.
:: Click here for our graphic sequence to find out how the cruise liner ended up on its side
Captain Francesco Schettino has been put under house arrest
Mr Clini added that fuel extraction would take at least two weeks - but could not begin until the search for survivors and bodies had been completed.
It comes as authorities named one of the ship's musicians as being among the dead. Hungarian Sandor Feher, 38, was found inside the ship on Wednesday.
The violinist was reportedly seen on the deck helping crying children put on their lifejackets when he decided to return to his cabin to pack his violin.
It follows the ship's captain Francesco Schettino - who has been put under house arrest - appearing before an Italian judge on Tuesday.
He has been accused of causing the accident by coming too close to the shore so he could "make a salute" and also of abandoning ship before the evacuation was complete.
According to a leaked transcript being quoted in Italian media, Schettino has admitted to investigators he made a mistake that caused the ship to hit the reef.
"I was navigating by sight because I knew the depths well and I had done this manoeuvre three or four times," he reportedly said.
"But this time I ordered the turn too late and I ended up in water that was too shallow. I don't know why it happened."
Meanwhile, in a statement Costa Cruises said that it would refund all passengers who were onboard - and that it would also cover all expenses incurred by holidaymakers in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.
It added: "Costa Cruises confirms both the constant commitment and care it devotes every day to safety and its dedication to relations with the guests who represent the company's most important asset, as they have done for more than 60 years.
"Costa Cruises would like once again to express its great sadness over the victims and its support for their families."
The statement came as it emerged 35 Russian passengers were planning to sue the company for damages.
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