The bodies of four missing Italian scuba divers who died last week have been found, Maldives government said Monday (18), following a fraught mission to locate their remains in a network of sea caves.
Five Italians died while exploring the Vaavu Atoll caves on Thursday (14), prompting a multinational effort to find and retrieve their remains.
One body was discovered that same day at the entrance to the maze-like underwater caves. International cave divers teamed up with Maldivian experts to try to locate the remains of the other four dead.
The operation resumed Monday following a temporary suspension after a military diver lost his life.
Three Finnish divers from the Divers Alert Network (DAN), a global scuba safety group, joined a fourth expert and the local coastguard to develop a new strategy on Sunday. Specialist equipment is being provided by the United Kingdom and Australia, according to Mohamed Hussain Shareef, the chief spokesperson for Maldives government.
Shareef said the bodies had been located in the deepest part of the sea cave, and that the rescuers plan to recover two bodies on Tuesday (19) and the other two on Wednesday (20). (CNN)