Five more bodies have been discovered inside the Concordia cruise ship, raising the confirmed death toll to 11.

Italian rescuers confirmed that they found the bodies amid escalating fears for the people still listed as missing following the sinking of Costa Concordia. The latest missing person count is 24.

The cruise ship went down in shallow waters off the island of Giglio Porto, Italy, on Friday evening with 3,200 passengers and 1,000 crew on board.

With the death toll rising to eleven and many more being treated in hospital, the incident has sent ripples throughout the cruise industry, with a major investigation underway to work out the cause of the tragedy.

“Human error” on the part of captain Francesco Schettino is being blamed by Costa Cruises, which argues he deviated from the planned route.

However, Schettino, who is being held by Italian authorities on suspicion of manslaughter, denies any wrongdoing.

Despite claims he abandoned ship before all crew and passengers were evacuated, he has insisted he was among the last people to leave the vessel.

The nationality of the bodies has not yet been confirmed.

German media have reported that 12 German passengers are still missing.

In the United States officials have expressed concern for two American citizens still believed to be missing.

Six Italians, two French couples and a Peruvian are also reported to be unaccounted for.