The bodies of four Italian divers who went missing during a scuba diving accident in the Maldives last week have been located. They were found inside a 60-metre-deep cave in Vaavu Atoll by a joint team of highly trained Finnish and Maldivian divers. The divers didn't resurface, and their absence was reported.

The Italian divers were part of a group that included Prof Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, and researchers Muriel Oddenino and Federico Gualtieri. The fifth Italian victim was boat operations manager and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti.

The group entered the water at Vaavu Atoll on Thursday morning. They were reported missing when they failed to resurface later on. The weather was rough in the area, about 100km south of the capital, Male, when the group went missing. A yellow warning was issued for passenger boats and fishermen. It's clear that the weather conditions were hazardous.

The Maldivian government spokesperson, Mohamed Hossain Shareef, said the group had permission for their research mission to study the coral, including deep dives. However, there was no mention of the cave in their proposal. The permit covered various atolls, including Vaavu, with the Duke of York named as the dive boat.

The group's proposal didn't mention the cave, and only three of those who died were listed as researchers. Neither the professor's daughter, Giorgia Sommacal, nor the group instructor, Gianluca Benedetti, were mentioned. They weren't included in the list of researchers.

A Maldivian rescue diver, Staff Sgt Mohamed Mahdhee, also died while searching for the bodies of the group. He was part of a group of eight rescue divers who were trying to locate the bodies on Saturday. They didn't succeed in recovering the bodies at that time.

An investigation is ongoing to establish the cause of the accident. The Italian foreign ministry said the four bodies were located in the cave's third section - the furthest from the entrance. Additional dives would be needed to recover them. They can't be recovered without further dives.

Two of the bodies would be recovered on Tuesday, and the remaining two the following day, according to Mohamed Hossain Shareef. The recovery process won't be easy.

The University of Genoa, where Prof Monica Montefalcone and the other researchers were based, hasn't commented on the nature and parameters of the research mission. They don't have to disclose this information, but it might be helpful.

  • Four Italian divers were found dead in a 60-metre-deep cave in Vaavu Atoll, Maldives.
  • The divers were part of a group that included a professor, her daughter, and two researchers.
  • A fifth Italian diver, the boat operations manager, also died in the accident.
  • A Maldivian rescue diver died while searching for the bodies of the group.
  • The group had permission for their research mission to study the coral, but there was no mention of the cave in their proposal.

The accident is believed to be the worst single diving accident in the Maldives, a popular tourist destination known for its string of coral islands. The Maldives is a destination that attracts many tourists, and it's known for its beautiful coral islands.