-- Passengers on the wrecked Costa Concordia cruise ship are expected to receive a compensation lump sum of 11,000 euros ($14,400) each, the Italian Association of Tour Operators said in a statement Friday.
The decision was reached during a meeting between Costa Cruises and consumer groups, the association 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 number of deaths.
A 16th body was found by divers searching the ship Tuesday. Sixteen others are missing from the roughly 4,200 people aboard the cruise liner -- 3,200 passengers and 1,000 crew members -- at the time of the collision.
The compensation will be paid to each passenger regardless of age, the Italian Association of Tour Operators said, and covers damage to and loss of property and any psychological distress suffered.
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The payout will include reimbursement for the cost of the cruise and additional travel expenses. Costa will also set up a psychological counseling program for those passengers who request it, the statement said.
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, the statement added.
The captain of the ill-fated cruise ship 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.
In 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 the 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. Some said the crew seemed overwhelmed and did not have accurate information on what was taking place.
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