BREAKING: Bodies of Four Missing Divers Located From Underwater Cave

The bodies of four Italian divers who went missing while exploring an underwater cave in Vaavu Atoll have been located inside the same cave where they had been diving.

According to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), the bodies have now been found following an extensive search and recovery operation.

MNDF said the operation was carried out jointly by the Coast Guard, police, and experienced foreign divers arranged with assistance from the Italian government. The team also included specialist cave divers from Finland.

The bodies were discovered inside the cave where the group had been diving.

Presidential Office Spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef (Mundhu) said the Finnish team consisted of highly experienced cave divers equipped with specialized technical gear. The government also noted that technical support for the operation was being provided from the United Kingdom and Australia.

Of the five people involved in the incident, the body of the diving instructor had previously been found at a depth of 60 meters. The remaining four divers were located around 200 feet deep inside the cave.

MNDF stated that further dives are planned to recover the bodies from the cave.

During the operation, experienced Coast Guard diver Sergeant First Class Mohamed Mahudhee tragically lost his life yesterday.

Following the incident, the Ministry of Tourism suspended the operating license of the safari vessel “MV Duke of York,” which had been carrying the divers.