Costa Concordia captain freed from house arrest

An Italian judge has lifted house arrest for the captain of the Costa Concordia, the cruise ship that killed 32 people as it crashed off the Tuscan coast in January.

But Judge Valeria Montesarchio in her written decision Thursday said the disgraced captain, Francesco Schettino, must not leave his hometown near Naples while investigation continues.

Schettino is accused of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning the liner while many passengers and crew were still aboard.

The ship's hull was gashed when the boat rammed into a reef close to Giglio island. Costa Crociere Spa, the cruise company, contends Schettino steered the vessel too close to shore.

He said the reef wasn't on the ship's navigational charts. Experts studying evidence are to report their findings to a court in two weeks.