Concordia probe widens

Four more officers and three Costa Cruises executives are under investigation as Italian prosecutors expand the probe into the Costa Concordia tragedy.

Costa is not identifying the people involved in the new probe.

But it issued a statement saying it had full confidence in judicial authorities and would cooperate fully with the investigation.

The ship’s captain Francesco Schettino and first officer Ciro Ambrosio are already under investigation.

The company has previously placed the blame for the accident on Schettino's shoulders but it gave its backing to other Costa staff placed under investigation, saying they had worked with great professionalism and selflessness after the accident.

Schettino faces charges of multiple manslaughter, causing an accident and abandoning ship before the evacuation of all of those on board was complete. A pre-trial hearing is due to begin on 3 March.

The move by prosecutors in the Tuscan town of Grosseto allows the seven people, who haven't been charged, to retain legal counsel before a special court hearing is held in early March to review the contents of the ship's black-box recorder for the first time.

"We believe that placing other Costa personnel under investigation is simply due to the necessity for the authorities to provide such individuals with the guarantees afforded to everybody under Italian law," a statement from Costa Crociere said.

Divers found another four bodies inside the ship later on Wednesday, after saying four were discovered in the afternoon.

One was confirmed as that of a five-year-old Italian girl, Dayana Arlotti, whose father was also killed in the accident.

A total of 32 people are thought to have died when the cruiseship hit rocks and capsized off Giglio on 13 February.

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