Rome (CNN) -- Surviving passengers on the wrecked Costa Concordia cruise ship will each receive a lump sum of 11,000 euros in compensation ($14,400), the cruise line said Friday.
The decision was reached during a meeting between Costa Cruises and consumer groups, the Italian Association of Tour Operators said.
The massive liner struck rocks and rolled over onto its side in shallow waters off an island on Italy's Tuscan coast on January 13, leading to a panicked overnight evacuation and a multiple deaths.
Divers searching the ship found a 16th body Tuesday; 16 others are missing. About 4,200 people were aboard the cruise liner -- 3,200 passengers and 1,000 crew members -- at the time of the collision.
Franco Gabrielli of Italy's civil protection agency, who is heading the rescue operation, said 14 of the bodies found have now been identified.
Efforts were under way Friday to open up new passages in the ship's hull so rescuers could access more areas, he told reporters.
Operations to remove 2,400 tons fuel from the liner's tanks will begin Saturday afternoon or Sunday, after a slight delay, he said.
Weather and sea conditions are expected to worsen Saturday, leading to higher waves, Gabrielli said. While this will not prevent the removal of fuel, it could present more risk to the environment if anything goes wrong, he added.
Residents of Giglio island near the site of the shipwreck have complained of seeing white filaments in the sea, he said, but further testing is needed to confirm the origin of the substance.
Outlining the compensation deal, Costa expressed "its profound condolences to the families of the victims, our continued sympathy to the families of the missing, and our deep regret and sorrow for the damages and hardship the Costa Concordia accident caused to all its guests."
The compensation will be paid to each passenger regardless of age and will cover damage to and loss of property and any psychological distress suffered, it said.
The payout will include reimbursement for the cost of the cruise and additional travel expenses. Costa will return the contents of cabin safes to their owners where possible, and will also set up a psychological counseling program for those passengers who request it.
Separate agreements will be reached with those passengers who were injured and needed treatment at the scene and with the families of those who died, its statement added.
A spokesman for the Italian Association of Tour Operators said none of the passengers was obliged to sign the agreement but, if they do, they will no longer be able to file a law suit against Costa.
Jesus Garcia Heredia, who was on the ill-starred cruise with his wife, told CNN he would not accept the payout, which would total 22,000 euros ($28,900) for the couple.
"If we can reach an agreement, I am willing to agree not to sue, no problem," he said, "but not for 11,000 euros. I don't accept this."
Heredia has not yet been contacted by anyone in the company to talk about the compensation offer, but says "it's not that easy" just to accept a lump sum.
He seemed uneasy talking about the incident and said that it has affected him deeply.
"There was a lot of loss that day," he said, referring to personal belongings and the emotional toll of the disaster. "We had it really bad there."
Roberto Corbella, president of the tour operators' association, said the compensation offer was the result of remarkable cooperation and "aims to give, after such a serious disgrace, a quick, concrete and adequate answer."
The 11,000 euro lump sum reflects Italian and international law, he said, with Costa likely to pay out about 3,000 euro more per passenger on top of that in refunds and travel costs.
He estimated the cost of the compensation offer -- not counting the separate agreements with the injured and the families of those killed and missing -- at over 40 million euro ($59 million).
He added: "Only in a year's time will we know the exact cost of this disaster for the company, in terms of expenses and in terms of image. And maybe one year will not be sufficient."
Corbella said cruise cancellations are only running about 10% higher than average, adding that "at the moment there isn't a strong emotional reaction."
Costa has said anyone who wishes to cancel a cruise booked before January 13 can do so without penalty, provided they get in touch by February 7.
Meanwhile, the captain of the Costa Concordia is under house arrest and faces possible charges of manslaughter, shipwreck and abandoning ship.
Both Costa Cruises and the Italian authorities have criticized Capt. Francesco Schettino's behavior.
Prosecutors were Friday questioning Ciro Ambrosio, Schettino's deputy on board the ship.
Entering the tribunal, his lawyer told reporters: "'We have many arms to defend us with honor. We don't feel responsible."
In his own answers to prosecutors, defense attorneys and a judge, Schettino has admitted he had made a "mistake" in colliding with the rocks off the island of Giglio.
"I hit this projection of rock, that seems almost stuck into the ship, but this was my mistake," Schettino said in a 126-page transcript. "... There isn't anything I can say, as I was convinced that passing within .28 of a mile there wouldn't be any problem."
The captain also brushed aside suggestions that at 15 knots, he was going too fast, as alleged by prosecutors.
"There isn't a speed limit," he said. "... We had more or less the speed needed to reach Savona on time."
According to the transcript, Schettino maintained he ran the ship aground to keep it from sinking. "This is what allowed me to limit the tilting," he said.
Schettino's defense attorney, Bruno Leporatti, filed an appeal Wednesday of a judge's decision to place the captain on house arrest, Leporatti's office said in a statement.
Both the prosecution and the defense are appealing the decision -- prosecutors because they believe Schettino should be in custody, and the defense because it believes he should have been released with no restrictions on his movements.
Cruise ship passengers described a scene of panic and confusion as they rushed for lifeboats the night the ship sank. Some said the crew seemed overwhelmed and did not have accurate information on what was taking place.
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