Recovery Operations at Italian Crise Ship

Concordia ran aground and capsized off the Tuscan island of Giglio.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

ROME (AP) - The Concordia ran aground and capsized off the Tuscan island of Giglio on Jan. 13 after the captain veered from his approved course and gashed the ship's hull on a reef, forcing the panicked evacuation of 4,200 passengers and crew.

The 16 bodies found so far include the one located on the third-floor deck Tuesday. Seven of the badly decomposed bodies remain unidentified and are presumed to be among some of the 17 passengers and crew still unaccounted for. On Tuesday, the U.S. ambassador to Italy David Thorne was at Giglio's port with relatives of two missing Americans, Gerald and Barbara Heil of Minnesota.

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Recovery Operations at Italian Cruise Ship

The grounded cruise ship Costa Concordia lies on its side off the Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. Salvage experts can begin pumping fuel from a capsized cruise ship as early as Tuesday to avert a possible environmental catastrophe and the ship is stable enough that search efforts for the missing can continue, Italian officials said. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

Recovery Operations at Italian Cruise Ship

In this undated photo released by Vigili del Fuoco (Italian firefighters) Monday, Jan. 23, 2012 scuba divers of the firefighters unit inspect the Costa Concordia cruise ship, off the tiny Giglio island, Italy. Italian officials say Monday two more bodies have been pulled from the wreckage of a cruise liner capsized off the Tuscan coast, bringing the number of confirmed dead to 15. The national civil protection agency official in charge of the search said Monday that divers recovered the bodies of two women from the ship's internet cafe. (AP Photo/Vigili del Fuoco)

Recovery Operations at Italian Cruise Ship

In this undated photo released by Vigili del Fuoco (Italian firefighters) Monday, Jan. 23, 2012 rocks emerge from the Costa Concordia cruise ship, off the tiny Giglio island, Italy. Italian officials say Monday two more bodies have been pulled from the wreckage of a cruise liner capsized off the Tuscan coast, bringing the number of confirmed dead to 15. The national civil protection agency official in charge of the search said Monday that divers recovered the bodies of two women from the ship's internet cafe. (AP Photo/Vigili del Fuoco)

Recovery Operations at Italian Cruise Ship

Rescuers recover pieces of furniture from the grounded cruise ship Costa Concordia off the Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. Italian officials say Monday two more bodies have been pulled from the wreckage of a cruise liner capsized off the Tuscan coast, bringing the number of confirmed dead to 15. The national civil protection agency official in charge of the search said Monday that divers recovered the bodies of two women from the ship's internet cafe. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

Recovery Operations at Italian Cruise Ship

Italian Guardia di Finanza and Civil Protection officers recover pieces of furniture from the grounded cruise ship Costa Concordia off the Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. Italian officials say Monday two more bodies have been pulled from the wreckage of a cruise liner capsized off the Tuscan coast, bringing the number of confirmed dead to 15. The national civil protection agency official in charge of the search said Monday that divers recovered the bodies of two women from the ship's internet cafe. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

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