Divers searching the cruise ship Costa Concordia found eight more bodies, including that of a young Italian girl, on board the semi-submerged vessel yesterday.

Italy's civil protection agency, which is managing the removal of the wreck, said the bodies of a man, a woman and five-year-old Dayana Arlotti were recovered a few hours after being spotted by fire department divers.

Because of worsening weather, the team was not able to immediately remove the other five.

The discovery came as prosecutors widened their investigation into the disaster to include seven more people, among them employees of the ship's operator, Costa Crociere.

The Concordia captain, Francesco Schettino, and first officer, Ciro Ambrosio, are already suspected of multiple counts of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship before all passengers were evacuated.

Last night, prosecutors said they were also investigating Costa Cruise workers who were on dry land when the Concordia hit rocks at Giglio island on 13 January.

The death toll stands at 32 and a further 11 people remain missing.