Rescue squads and divers began searching the Costa Concordia cruise liner Tuesday for the body of shipwreck victim Russel Rebello but found no immediate trace of the missing Indian steward, salvage sources said.
Police and coast guard teams searched the third and fourth decks of the liner that are above the waterline since the wrecked vessel was refloated off the coast of the island of Giglio last month.
Divers from the Genoa fire brigade and a Navy special underwater unit meanwhile scrupulously searched the still submerged first and second decks.
Rebello is believed to have been the 32nd fatality among the passengers and crew of the vessel after it hit rocks off Giglio island on January 13, 2012. A Spanish diver died while working on the salvage operation in January, taking the Concordia's overall death toll to 33, ANSA reports.