At least eight were killed and an unspecified number were missing on the night of Friday to Saturday, after an Italian liner with more than 4,000 people on board wrecked south of Tuscany, according to Italian press reports said.

A previous review announced six deaths, according to the press.

Eight people died and others were missing after they jumped into the sea in a moment of panic when the ship began to tilt to one side, the daily Il Messaggero said.

Also, over 30 people were injured, including a number seriously, according to Italian media.

Aproxiamtiv 200 people were on board the liner, by 2.30 pm GMT, said Giuseppe Linardi, prefect of the city nearby, Grosseto.

Costa Concordia, which made a cruise in the Mediterranean, the Friday night stranded on a sandbank near the Isle of Giglio, south of Tuscany, with 4231 people aboard, including many srăini, most of whom were evacuated, according to Coast Guard.

That the Mayor of stranded cruise ship Costa Concordia said previously that he fears that stock could rise as evacuation operations of the last passengers and crew members are still on board, might experience difficulties, according to the Italian agency ANSA.

On board about 1,000 passengers were Italians, Germans about 500 and about 160 French, said the owner, who did not provide further details on citizenship to people on the ship.

“Towards 20.00 (ship) Costa Concordia, with a length of 290 meters began to take water on board and leaned on one side at an angle of 20 degrees,” it said in a statement Coast Guard .

Costa Crociere owner said in a statement that the ship carrying about 1,000 passengers and 3,200 crew members and that it started “in Savona on a Mediterranean cruise with stops referred to Civitavecchia, Palermo, Cagliari, the LEAP Majorca, Barcelona, ​​Marislia and (back) to Savona “.

Coast Guard units and other vessels, particularly ferries connecting the Tuscan coast and the Isle of Giglio, were mobilized to the area to participate in the evacuation of passengers and crew.

Rescuers are coordinated by Harbor Master Santo Stefano and carabineers.

“We’re in full emergency” Giglio informed Mayor Sergio Ortelli journalists, busy preparing the island for hosting a few thousand people.

Luciano Castro, a witness, told Ansa news agency that at 21.30 local time (22.30, local time), passengers “just taking the dinner, the lights went out, he heard a bang and then a loud noise, then fell cutlery down “.

According to this witness, a pregnant woman began to scream and children cry. When light returned, the commander announced a generator up to electroassembly and promised quick redress.

But passengers and realized that the ship tilts on its side, the crew asked everyone to put their life jackets and go out on deck, in the boats.

Later the ship was ordered to be abandoned, marked with seven short bell sounds and a long one, according to witnesses.

Another passenger, Mara Parmegiani, a journalist, described “scenes worthy of Titanic”, where there was a stampede among evacuees, screaming and crying.