The girl who on Monday was swept out to sea at Ċirkewwa was found dead on Wednesday morning, Home Minister Byron Camilleri said.

She was later named as Oliwia Wojnowska, of Polish nationality.

Her body was found on Wednesday at Paradise Bay, close to where the girl was swept away by a giant wave on Monday afternoon. 

In a post on Facebok, the minister said that he had been informed that the body of the girl was found by divers. He said the Police Support Response team was assisting the relatives.

The girl's body was found trapped on rocks at the bottom of the sea and was retrieved by divers, the police said in a statement later.

A magisterial inquiry is being led by Magistrate Monica Borg Galea.

In a statement, the Civil Protection Department said that at 10.28am, two Civil Protection Malta rescue divers from Station 5 located a body during the search operations.

The divers immediately signalled the CPD Incident Commander, and the body was subsequently recovered and transferred onto CPD RHIB Delta 2.

The body matched the description of the missing girl, the CPD said.

The CPD immediately informed the the Malta Police Force and, following their instructions, proceeded to Marfa Mall. The victim was later transferred to the Forensic Section for further investigations.

The CPD said it operation has now been concluded, and the case has been handed over to the police.

The operation involved 25 rescuers from five CPD stations, supported by one sea asset, five rescue vehicles, and five senior officers, and was carried out hand in hand with the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM), who provided rescue divers, sea assets, aerial support by helicopter, and drone surveillance.

The Civil Protection Department extended its sincere condolences to the victim's family and loved ones during this difficult time. 

The body of the girl was discovered nearly 41 hours after the girl was last seen, with the search resuming on Wednesday morning at first light after it had been suspended for the night.

The operation was coordinated by the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM), with aerial and maritime searches underway, while the Civil Protection Department (CPD) and the police conducted searches on land. Mater Dei Hospital staff and the Victim Support Unit were also involved in the response.

In a statement Wednesday, the AFM said search operations restarted at dawn but were hampered by rough seas and strong currents. With winds expected to strengthen to force 6 and adverse conditions forecast to persist throughout the week, the Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) Malta has urged the public to stay away from exposed coastal areas and avoid approaching the shoreline.

The incident occurred late on Monday afternoon when the girl was standing on a pavement behind railings, watching the rough sea, when a large wave swept her away. Her father, aged 49, and her 17-year-old brother were pinned against a wall by the force of the sea as they tried to help her. The father sustained injuries while attempting to grab his daughter.

On Tuesday afternoon, a drone operator located the girl's jacket on rocks near the Sunset Viewpoint, facing Paradise Bay.