Maldivian authorities confirmed that the bodies of four missing Italian divers were located deep inside an underwater cave in the Vaavu Atoll.
A government spokesman, Ahmed Shaam, said the four were discovered together well inside the cave’s third and largest segment. A fifth Italian, a diving instructor, had been recovered earlier outside the cave entrance.
The group is believed to have been exploring at about 50 meters (160 feet) depth last Thursday, well below the Maldives’ 30-meter legal diving limit. An initial recovery operation by the Maldives National Defence Force (MDNF) was suspended on Saturday after a MDNF diver, Mohamed Mahudhee, died from underwater decompression sickness.
On Sunday, three specialist volunteer divers from Finland arrived and developed a renewed search plan. Rough weather initially slowed efforts, but the team ultimately located the bodies.
The MDNF said it will take time to bring the remains to the surface. Official causes of death are still under investigation.