Costa Concordia cruise liner captain Francesco Schettino is escorted by a Carabinieri in Grosseto
An Italian judge has placed Costa Concordia cruise liner captain Francesco Schettino (R) under house arrest. He is seen here escorted by a Carabinieri in Grosseto January 14, 2012. Schettino, the captain of the Italian cruise liner that ran aground off Italy's west coast, was arrested on the charges of multiple manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship, police said on Saturday. REUTERS/Enzo Russo/ANSA

An Italian judge on Tuesday placed Francesco Schettino, the captain of the sinking cruise ship Costa Concordia, under house arrest.

Schettino's lawyer Bruno Leporatti told Reuters that the judge is allowing his client to leave jail in order to be placed under house arrest.

The Costa Concordia ran aground in Italy on Friday and capsized just off the west coast. Schettino was questioned and arrested the next day on suspicion of manslaughter and is also being accused of causing a shipwreck and abandoning his ship before everyone on board were evacuated.

Reports are that 11 people have died in the cruise ship disaster. Officials have said that 29 people are unaccounted for.

Prosecutors have said that Schettino refused to return to the ship when the coast guard request such action of him.

You can listen to an audio of port officials telling Schettino to return to the ship and coordinate rescue operation below:

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