Since Mr. Foschi made those comments, on Monday, Italian authorities disclosed a timeline, noting Mr. Schettino's ship struck the rock formation at 9:45 p.m.

WSJ: Italy Probes Captain's Phone Call With Boss

Italian prosecutors have launched an investigation into the shipwreck, detaining the ship's captain, Francesco Schettino, for questioning while top Italian officials criticized the ship for sailing so close to the shore of the island of Giglio, causing it to strike a rock formation just off the coast of the island.

WSJ: Shares in Ship-Operator Carnival Plunge