Was mystery blonde's tryst with captain behind Costa Concordia sinking?

London, Jan 20(ANI): The ill-fated cruise ship Costa Concordia's captain was drinking and dining with a young blonde Moldovan woman just before his vessel capsized off Giglio island.

About 11 people were killed when the cruise liner capsized after colliding with a rocky outcrop off Giglio island.

Several passengers claimed they saw captain Francesco Schettino and a cruise ship passenger Domnica Cemortan sharing red wine and enjoying a lavish dinner shortly before the catastrophe.

An Italian couple, Angelo Fabbri and his wife Eleonora Rossi had taken the couple's photographs at 8.44pm showing the pictures of the dishes served to them in the Club Concordia restaurant.

"She seemed young, first of all we thought she might be his daughter. They were laughing, they seemed very happy. There's no doubt that they drank the whole decanter, the last drops were poured into the captain's wine glass," The Telegraph quoted Fabbi, as saying.

Schettino reportedly left the restaurant with the woman and the officer at 9.05pm, 37 minutes before the collision.

He is under fire for allegedly abandoning the ship when hundreds of his passengers were still trapped on board and could face at least 12 years in jail if convicted of the charges.

Cemortan admitted that she had been on the bridge with Schettino but defended the captain saying that he tired to save passengers by steering the ship towards the Giglio harbour. (ANI)