Desperate hunt for survivors of capsized cruise liner continues as two are plucked from the stricken vessel... and rescue workers make contact with a

-Captain held on suspicion of manslaughter as three passengers die
-Passengers tell of 'chaos' as crew members said 'go back to your cabins'
-Survivors leapt for their lives into the icy sea as the liner rolled onto its side
-Boat was 'four miles off course' when it hit rocks
-Bodies of two French passengers and a Peruvian crewman recovered
-One victim, 65, died from heart attack following shock of cold water
-Liner had listed so badly 'lifeboats had difficulty being launched'
-37 Britons on board but none believed to have died or been injured

By IAN GALLAGHER, NICK PISA and EMILY ALLEN

Lucky to be alive: Newlyweds from South Korea are led to safety by Italian firefighters after rescue workers found them trapped in the partly sunk ship this morning

The desperate hunt for survivors on board the luxury Italian cruise liner that capsized in the Mediterranean continued today as rescue workers plucked a honeymooning couple alive from the wreckage.
It comes as firefighters said this morning that a third survivor - the ship's cabin service director - had been located inside the cruise ship and voice contact had been made with him.

Rescue: The Costa Concordia is pictured this morning as rescuers in a boat co-ordinate the rescue effort during the desperate hunt for more survivors

More than 4,000 people were evacuated when the Costa Concordia ran aground off the coast of Tuscany on Friday night, leaving two French passengers and a Peruvian crew member confirmed dead. But this morning 38 people were still missing.
The man and woman, both 29 from South Korea, were honeymooning on board the liner and became stranded two decks below rescuers when the vessel became semi-submerged. Thirty-five people took 90 minutes to bring them to safety in the early hours of this morning after hearing their screams.

Danger: Italian firefighters' scuba divers approach the Costa Concordia as they prepare to enter it to track down survivors and any of the 40 missing people

The newlyweds told firefighters they had not seen or heard any other survivors during the 24 hours they were trapped.
Meanwhile, the Concordia’s captain, Francesco Schettino, and first officer Ciro Ambrosio were detained last night at the police station in Porto Santo Stefano on the Italian mainland, as they faced continuing questioning about the events leading up to the disaster. Prosecutors are investigating possible charges of multiple manslaughter and abandoning the ship while passengers were still in danger.

Screams: Rescue workers heard this South Korean man and his wife screaming and took 90 minutes to free them. The 29-year-old is pictured getting off a ferry to safety

Waiting game: Hundreds of passengers in life jackets are pictured on board the Costa Concordia on Friday night as they wait to be rescued from the stricken vessel


Italian Coast Guard personnel recover the black box from the Costa Condordia cruise ship that ran aground off the west coast of Italy

Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia carrying more than 4,000 people ran aground and keeled over off the Italian coast near the island of Giglio in Tuscany, Italy, last night

The Costa Concordia after the evacuation off the Itaiian coast had been completed. Tonight Captain Francesco Schettino was being quizzed by police

The cruise ship that ran aground is seen off the west coast of Italy as a helicopter hovers above to try and find passengers

The damage to the vessel can be seen quite clearly

The captain of the Costa Concordia cruise ship, Francesco Schettino is taken into custody in Grosseto, Italy

Italian news agency Ansa said 4,165 out of the 4,234 people on-board were safe but did not know the whereabouts of the remaining 69

Lifeboats are pictured in the foreground. Among the dead was a man around age 65, who officials believe may not have been able to withstand the cold of the sea at night

Prosecutor Francesco Verusio said the Concordia had approached the tiny island of Giglio ‘the wrong way’, while sources said that the 52-year-old captain, from Naples, had abandoned the ship at around 11.30pm local time – about an hour after it struck a rocky outcrop and started taking in water – while the last passengers were not taken to safety until 3am yesterday morning.

The ship was on a Mediterranean cruise starting from the Italian city of Civitavecchia with scheduled calls at Savona, Cagliari and Palermo, all also in Italy; Marseilles in France; and Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
As divers searched areas of the ship that were now underwater, there was some concern for their safety if the vessel shifted.
‘It is a very delicate operation because the ship might move or sink farther,’ said a spokesman for Italy’s coastguard. ‘This could endanger the divers, trapping them inside the wreck.’

Many of the passengers were sitting down to eat in the Concordia’s restaurants when they heard a loud bang followed by a ‘terrible groaning’ noise.
Diners were instructed to remain seated even as the ship began listing. According to the captain, the ship had an electrical problem. But although it soon became clear that the problem was far worse, passengers continued to be told for a good 45 minutes that there was a simple technical problem.

A woman is cared for by a rescue worker and a child is taken to safety. Thousands of people have been affected by the incident

Rescue workers help a woman as she is led to safety at Porto Santo Stefano. Lifeboats had difficulty launching

Passengers arrive at Porto Santo Stefano

The evacuees were taking refuge in schools, hotels, and a church on the tiny island of Giglio, a popular holiday isle about 18 miles off Italy's central west coast

Georgia Ananias, 61, from Los Angeles, recalled crawling along a hallway as the ship began to upturn. She said an Argentine couple handed her their three-year-old daughter, as they were unable to keep their balance. ‘I grabbed the baby. But then I was being pushed down,’ she said. ‘I didn’t want the baby to fall down the stairs. I gave the baby back. I couldn’t hold her. I thought that was the end and I thought they should be with their baby. I wonder where they are.’

source: dailymail