A team of Finnish expert divers has located the bodies of four missing Italian divers inside an underwater cave in the Maldives following the country’s deadliest diving accident, Reuters reports.
The divers were found on 18 May inside the third and deepest chamber of a cave system in Vaavu Atoll, about 60 metres below the surface. The recovery mission is being led by the non-profit organisation Divers Alert Network Europe together with Maldivian authorities.
According to Maldivian government spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef, the Finnish divers located the bodies “pretty much together” using advanced technical diving equipment, including closed-circuit rebreathers.
The victims were part of an Italian diving group led by marine ecologist Monica Montefalcone from the University of Genoa. Five Italians died in the accident, including Montefalcone’s daughter Giorgia Sommacal and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti, whose body was recovered shortly after the incident.
Maldivian authorities are now investigating what caused the fatal dive. Officials said the group had permits to conduct coral research, but authorities were allegedly unaware the expedition involved deep cave diving.
The rescue operation has also claimed the life of Maldivian diver Mohamed Mahdhee, who died during a search mission on Saturday.
Recovery dives are expected to continue over the coming days as teams work to bring the remaining bodies to the surface.
