The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has confirmed that the bodies of four Italian divers who went missing near Alimathaa in Vaavu Atoll have been located inside an underwater cave.

In a statement issued on Monday, the MNDF said the discovery was made during a joint search and recovery operation conducted alongside the Maldives Police Service and international diving experts.

The search began last Thursday after five Italian nationals were reported missing during a dive near a cave at the Alimathaa dive site.

One of the divers was found on the same day, while efforts to locate the remaining four continued over the following days.

Authorities confirmed that all four bodies were discovered within the same cave where the group had been diving.

Plans are now underway to retrieve the bodies in upcoming diving missions.

The deceased have been identified as diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti, Professor Monica Montefalcone of the University of Genoa, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, research fellow Muriel Oddenino, and marine biology graduate Federico Gualtieri.

The operation was further complicated by a tragic incident involving Sergeant First Class Mohamed Mahudhee, a rescue diver participating in the mission. He developed decompression sickness during a dive and later passed away while receiving treatment.

In response to the risks and complexity of the operation, authorities temporarily suspended diving activities to reassess safety measures.

Meanwhile, a team of three Finnish deep diving specialists arrived in the Maldives yesterday to assist in the ongoing recovery efforts.