Today the Magistrate released 21 bodies from the 29 immigrants who died at sea last Sunday.

The process to release the bodies took this long as autopsies and other tests needed to be done, and a number of the bodies were in an advanced state of decomposition. A consultation with the Italian Judicial Authority also took place, since the Maltese and Italian authorities are cooperating in the investigation.

A further eight bodies are still being kept.

A priest as well as Imam Mohamed El Sadi offered a prayer over the bodies held in the mortuary earlier today.

The 29 bodies were recovered from the boat’s lower deck, where it is believed that smoke fumes made it hard to breathe, which led to fighting trying to reach the upper deck and all out panic.

Burials are expected to happen tomorrow.