A COUPLE from Gerrards Cross have spoken of the terrifying moments before they escaped the sinking Costa Concordia cruise ship.

Charanjit Phander and his wife Mohan, who live in The Uplands, were enjoying the final hours of their holiday when the ship hit a rock off the coast of Italy on January 13.

Mrs Phander, 48, told the Bucks Free Press: “We were just starting our dinner when there was a bang and the boat started shaking. Things started flying all over the place and the lights went out.”

“Everybody started panicking and some girls were screaming. We went to an upper deck and people were putting lifejackets on.”

Mr Phander continued: “At that point the captain just announced it was an electrical fault and was nothing to worry about, so we calmed down a bit.”

The couple, who have three children, then went back down to the restaurant floor, where they lost each other for a few minutes in the darkness.

Mr Phander, 51, who runs a carpet business, said: “When we found each other again we were trying to calm each other down and could suddenly feel the ship tilting and sinking down to the left. We just thought we had to get to the other side.

“When we got there, the captain started saying ‘abandon ship, abandon ship’, and everyone started panicking. The crew opened the gates for the lifeboats and everyone rushed forward.”

Mrs Phander got thrown over in the rush, but the couple eventually managed to board a lifeboat, which was lowered to the water. Mrs Phander said: “I thought that we were going to die....We are lucky to be alive.”

Mr Phander added: “It was just relief when we got on the water. When we were on the lifeboat heading into land I could see the cruise boat sinking inch by inch. I could see people hanging on to rails on the top side of the boat - you could see the fear in their faces.

“You see it on movies and when it happens to you you’re just in shock. I tried to keep my calm because I was worried about my wife.”

About 4,200 people were on board the vessel and at least 12 people were killed.