Galeri Costa Concordia Accident

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

Up to 70 cruise ship passengers were still missing and three were confirmed dead tonight, following the capsizing of a cruise liner off the coast of Italy. As divers spent the day searching the seas around the Costa Concodia, which overturned after hitting rocks just two hours after setting sail on a seven-day cruise, the boat's captain Francesco Schettino was being quizzed by police.

Survivors of the disaster tonight told of a 'chaotic evacuation' after the the ship started to list, with some crew members even telling holidaymakers to return to their cabins. Captain Schettino today told maritime investigators that charts showed he was in waters deep enough to navigate, but reports emerged that the boat was four miles off course when it ran aground.

Passengers spoke of having to crawl along near vertical hallways and stairwells to escape the ship as it began to take on more and more water

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

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

A gaping 160ft gash was torn in the hull, which quickly filled a large section of the ship with water, causing it to list to one side and creating panic within. Passenger Antonietta Simboli, from Latina near Rome, said: 'Were sitting at our dinner table when there was a loud bang and things just flew off the table.

'The lights went off and then came back on again and then everyone just started scrambling over each other to try and get a life vest or to the life boats. People were trampling over each other and children in the chaos.'

Another passenger who would only give her name as Silvano, said: 'There was just complete and utter chaos and panic. No from the crew seemed to know what they were doing. It was just like something from the Titanic.

'Some of the crew were telling us to go back to our cabins while others were saying go to the life boats - it was obvious we were in serious trouble because we heard a terrible scraping noise.'

Italian officials tonight said 69 passengers had not yet been accounted for, following the evacuation of 4,200. All British holidaymakers and crew members were safe, but the bodies of two French passengers and a Peruvian crewman were recovered from the water.

Italian news agency Ansa said 4,165 out of the 4,234 people on-board were safe but officials did not know the whereabouts of the rest. Coast guards and divers have spent the morning searching the submerged decks, the BBC said.

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