News Desk
The Maldives National Defence Force said on Monday that the bodies of four Italian divers who went missing inside an underwater cave in Vaavu Atoll have been located but have not yet been recovered.
The MNDF said future dives are being planned to bring the bodies out of the cave. The recovery operation is expected to be complex given the depth and conditions inside the cave system.
The search was conducted by the MNDF Coast Guard and Maldives Police Service, working alongside experienced foreign divers. Three Finnish cave diving specialists, who arrived with specialised technical equipment, played a key role in locating the bodies. The Divers Alert Network, a US-based diver safety organisation, has also been assisting with the operation. The Italian government appointed the international team to support local efforts.
Five Italian tourists went missing on 14 May after entering a deep underwater cave system near Alimatha island. The body of dive instructor Gianluca Benedetti was recovered earlier from near the cave entrance. The four bodies now located are believed to be deeper inside the cave.
MNDF Staff Sergeant Mohamed Mahdi died last week after suffering decompression sickness during the search operation. He was buried with full military honours in Male’.
Authorities said investigations into the incident are continuing.
