Search teams have found another eight bodies in the wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship which sank off the Italian coast last month, local media reported, quoting officials.
The body of a 5-year-old girl was among the four bodies recovered on Wednesday from a part of the ship known as bridge four, which is under water. Bad weather in the area has not allowed rescuers from the Italian fire brigade to recover the other four bodies.
The confirmed death toll from the January 13 disaster has now been raised to 25, with another seven people still missing. A search operation is expected to resume on Thursday.
Costa Concordia carrying 4,200 people sank off the Tuscany coast in the Tyrrhenian Sea after hitting a reef.
The ship’s captain, Francesco Schettino, has been under house arrest on accusations of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and leaving the vessel before ensuring the safety of the passengers. He has denied the charges.
Another seven people – four members of the Costa Concordia crew and three employees of Costa Cruises, the operator of the luxury liner – have been under investigation over the disaster, media reports said.
