Sixteen Costa Concordia Passengers Still Missing

Italian Navy Photo Provided to AP

Little time remains for divers to locate the bodies of the 16 people still missing aboard the wreckage of the Costa Concordia. Sixteen deaths have been confirmed  in the disaster, although three people's remains have not been identified to date. The luxury liner grounded January 13, so officials doubt that more survivors will be found after this much time has passed.

On Tuesday, searchers found the body of a woman on the deck. Franco Gabrielli, head of the national civil protection agency, told reporters Wednesday that recovery operations would continue as long as the ship could be safely accessed.  Crews set off more explosions on the ship's third floor deck Wednesday to provide the divers better access. 

Salvage experts made preparations Thursday to set the stage for pumping fuel off the ship, which will begin Saturday. Officials and Giglio residents have concerns that escaping fuel could cause an environmental catastrophe. 

Jerry and Barbara Heil, a Minnesota couple on their dream vacation, are the only American passengers who haven't been found. Two members of the Heil family have flown to Italy to claim the bodies and take them home, once they have been located and identified. They expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the divers who are working in dangerous conditions as they search for all those unaccounted for.