Italian officials said that human remains have been found on the wrecked cruise ship Costa Concordia. The remains were discovered after last week’s attempt to right the ship, which had been lying on its side since the January 2012 disaster.
According to BBC News, the remains have not been identified, but two people are unaccounted for from the disaster, which killed 32. “During a search in the water near the central part of the ship, coast guard and police divers found remains which still have to be identified with DNA,” Italy’s civil protection service said Thursday.
The two people missing are Russel Rebello of India and Maria Grazia Trecarichi of Sicily, notes CNN. Rebello worked as a waiter and was seen helping passengers off the vessel, while Trecarichi was celebrating his 50th birthday on the cruise. Trecarichi was accompanied by her 17-year-old daughter, who did survive.
The complicated salvage operation began last week and was completed as engineers hoped. The ship has been righted, producing unprecedented photos of a ship that had been half underwater for 20 months.
Francesco Schettino, the ship’s captain, has been charged with manslaughter, abandoning the ship while passengers were still on board and causing a maritime disaster. He’s argued that he was a hero for making sure that 4,000 people survived and his lawyers have requested a new investigation of the ship, now that it is upright.
The BBC notes that the families of the two missing people were notified of the discovery of the remains.
image: Wikimedia Commons
