Authorities in the Maldives have confirmed that the bodies of four Italian divers who went missing during a scuba diving expedition last week have been located deep inside an underwater cave in Vaavu Atoll.
Officials said the bodies were discovered nearly 60 metres below sea level by a joint rescue operation involving highly trained Finnish and Maldivian divers. The victims were reportedly found inside the third section of the cave, considered the deepest and most difficult area to access.
The group was part of a diving expedition when the tragic accident occurred on Thursday. The body of a fifth Italian diver had already been recovered shortly after the incident.
In another tragic development, a Maldivian rescue diver who participated in the search operation also lost his life on Saturday while attempting to locate the missing tourists.
Government spokesperson Mohamed Hossain Shareef stated that additional underwater operations would continue in the coming days to safely recover the bodies from the cave system.
According to officials, two bodies are expected to be recovered first, followed by the remaining two in subsequent rescue dives due to the challenging underwater conditions.
Italy’s foreign ministry also confirmed the discovery and stated that the difficult depth and cave structure have made recovery operations extremely complex.
The incident is being described as one of the deadliest single scuba diving accidents ever recorded in the Maldives, a country internationally known for its luxury tourism, coral islands, and world-famous diving destinations.
Authorities are continuing investigations into the exact circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
