Human Remains Found at Costa Concordia Site

A time-lapse video of the salvage operation. Video by the BBC

Family members of two people missing and presumed dead in Costa Concordia's tragic accident off the coast of Giglio, Italy in January 2012 are perhaps a bit closer to closure.

Italian officials notified the families on Thursday that human remains have been found at the Costa Concordia salvage site.

Officials say the remains are absolutely consistent with what they've been seeking in the disappearance of Russel Rebello, a waiter from India, and Maria Grazia Trecarichi, a passenger from Sicily, Italy.   

Divers will attempt to recover the remains today, according to a spokesperson from Italy's Civil Protection agency. DNA testing will provide definitive answers for the families.

News sources cite different locations for the discovery of the remains.  CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/26/world/europe/italy-costa-concordia-remains) reports that the remains were found on Deck 4.  

The BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24286183), however, reports the remains were found along the seabed near the central part of the ship.

Some 4,200 passengers and crew members were onboard when Costa Concordia partially capsized in the accident. Of those, 32 were killed, among them the two mentioned above, although their bodies had not been located previously. 

Early last week, Costa Concordia was "righted" in a successful parbuckling operation by Titan Marine Salvage. Next spring, the ship will be towed away and scrapped.