Costa Concordia Death Toll Rises to 13 with 20 Still Missing

The death toll from the Costa Concordia disaster rose to 13 over the weekend as rescuers recovered the body of a woman in the ship. The victim, who has not yet been publicly identified, was wearing a life jacket.

The number of missing people is now 20, although that number could be revised based on new unconfirmed reports of unregistered people on the ship. Among the missing is a retired couple from suburban St. Paul, Minn.

Divers searching the partially submerged ship have suspended their efforts on and off since it sank Jan. 13 due to poor weather or when sensors indicate that the vessel is moving slightly. There are fears it could slide off the rocky reef into deeper water, which would hamper rescue efforts and possibly begin to leak its 2,300 tons of fuel.

Also over the weekend, Reuters reported that Capt. Francesco Schettino told prosecutors that Costa Cruises encouraged ships to sail close to islands in a salute to generate publicity and entertain passengers. In previous press conferences, Costa Chairman and CEO Pier Luigi Foschi blamed Schettino for the tragedy, saying he deviated from the company-approved routing.