A spokeswoman for Ship Recycling, the consortium breaking the ship at a yard in Genoa, told the Guardian that on Monday morning “human remains were found that are presumed to be those of Mr Rebello”. She said the remains were discovered in a cabin on the eighth deck of the giant liner.

The remains of the final missing victim of the Costa Concordia disaster, Russel Rebello, were found more than three years after the ship capsized. His body was discovered in November 2014 by salvage workers in Genoa, Italy, where the wreckage had been towed for scrapping. The remains were located on Deck 8, inside a passenger cabin that had been crushed and hidden by heavy furniture during the wreck. Russel Rebello was a 33-year-old waiter from India who was hailed as a hero for staying on board to help passengers into lifeboats before the ship fully rolled onto its side. His discovery brought the final death toll of the January 2012 tragedy to 32 people. Until his body was found, his family had spent over 1,000 days in a state of agonizing uncertainty. The discovery was made possible only when the ship was finally stabilized and partially dismantled in the dry docks, allowing search teams to reach previously inaccessible and hazardous areas of the hull that had been submerged underwater against the rocks off Giglio Island for years.