Divers Find More Bodies at Costa Concordia Wreck Site
Update: 1:40 p.m.
A total of eight (8) bodies have now been found by divers on the capsized Costa Concordia cruise vessel on one of the passenger decks, including the body of the missing 5-year-old girl.
Three of the bodies were recovered a few hours after being spotted by fire department divers. Due to inclement weather, the remaining five bodies were not able to be immediately removed.
The bodies were being transferred to a hospital on the mainland for identification, a process which could take days. Including the missing — who are presumed dead — and bodies already recovered, the death toll in the accident stands at 32.
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Initial Report - 9:05 a.m.
Another alleged four bodies have been found at the wreck site of the semi-submerged Costa Concordia cruise ship, according to officials in charge of the clean-up of the January 13th accident. Operations to recover these bodies are currently underway. There are already 32 confirmed lost lives as a result of this disaster.
After over a month in the water, the located bodies are in a decomposing state, so the exact amount of bodies found cannot yet be confirmed.
Italy’s civil protection agency, which is managing the environmentally hazardous wreck removal, stated that the bodies were found on Deck 4. The divers’ search was guided by survivors’ indications of where the missing bodies were likely to be found.
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Seventeen bodies were recovered in the immediate days following the sinking of the cruise liner. Fifteen people were still considered missing – including a five-year-old girl, an American couple and an Indian crew member. The ship’s captain and first officer are currently under investigation for responsibility of the disaster.
On February 12th, salvage experts began pumping the 2,400 tons of fuel oil from the Concordia’s tanks, which will take about a month to complete if weather conditions remain stable.
Dozens of survivors have initiated lawsuits against the cruise line, Costa Crociere, and its parent company, Carnival Corporation. About 39 surviving passengers are seeking out over half a billion dollars in damages.
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