Divers searching for victims in the capsized Costa Concordia found a total of eight more bodies Wednesday, nearly six weeks after the cruise ship ran aground off the Italian coast.

Authorities said the search workers spotted four more bodies in the wreckage a few hours after four other bodies were found. Only three of the bodies were immediately able to be recovered because of worsening weather.

The number of dead and missing but presumed dead stands at 32.

The Costa Concordia was carrying more than 4,200 passengers when it struck a rock off the Tuscan coast on January 13, creating a huge gash in the ship's side and letting water pour into the engine rooms.

Bad weather has delayed Italy's national civil protection agency in its search efforts, and officials say it is unclear how long the work would last. Salvage workers began pumping the 2,400 metric tons of fuel from the ship's tanks on February 12.

Captain Francesco Schettino has been blamed for the accident, with Italian prosecutors investigating him and first officer Ciro Ambrosio. It is believed Schettino steered the ship too close to shore to show off to onlookers.

The ship's operator, Costa Crociere, has offered uninjured passengers 11,000 euros ($14,500) plus expenses as compensation for the disaster. Dozens of survivors have launched lawsuits against Costa Crociere and its parent company, Carnival Corp, in France, Germany and the United States.

acb/mz (AP, AFP, Reuters)