State of the bodies

Somali fisherman Abdulrahman Abdala Gedi had a burn over his chest and back, which was compatible with exposure to fire, according to the autopsy carried out by pathologist Ali Safraz.

The burn must have been substantial because it survived the melting away of the upper layers of skin.

This jars with Simon Bugeja's statement that none of the five on board suffered any injuries.

In fact, Dr Safraz said the degree of burns must have been very painful for Mr Gedi and limited his ability to swim and float, so he would have been expected to die before the others. According to Mr Bugeja, the Somali fisherman was the first to die, two to three days after the incident.

Mr Gedi also had a wound described as a lacero contusion (a swollen slash) on his right leg, which could have been caused by flying debris.

Fisherman Noel Carabott also had a laceration above his right eye, which Dr Safraz said was compatible with being hit by a flying object if an explosion did indeed take place. Both men, as well as Mr Bugeja's father, Karmenu, died due to asphyxia caused by drowning.

The pathologist said the fact that Mr Carabott's body did not contain foreign bodies or shrapnel could not be used to conclude that he had not been near an explosion. The pulmonary haemorrhage he suffered could also be the result of a blast.

The haemorrhage suffered by Karmenu Bugeja was compatible with a blast although it was not proof that an explosion had taken place.