Authorities believe the divers died while exploring a cave at a depth of 50m

The ⁠bodies ​of ⁠four ‌missing Italian scuba ‌divers ‌who died ⁠last week have now been located, the Maldives government said.

According to Italy's Foreign Ministry, the divers died while exploring a cave at a depth of about 50m (160ft) in Vaavu Atoll on Thursday.

Four of the divers were part of a University of Genoa team, including professor of ecology, Monica Motefalcone, her daughter and two other researchers.

The recreational diving limit in the Maldives is 30m (98ft). The body of one Italian, who was the diving instructor, was found earlier outside the cave.

The victims have been identified as Montefalcone; her daughter, Giorgia Sommacal; marine biologist Federico Gualtieri; researcher Muriel Oddenino; and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti, according to the Maldivian government.

The breakthrough on Monday came as three Finnish divers arrived to plan a fresh search for the bodies of the divers believed to be trapped in underwater caves in Maldives.

The searches had resumed on Monday after being suspended following the death of a Maldivian diver from decompression sickness.

Mohamed Mahudhee, a member of the Maldivian National Defence Force, died of underwater decompression sickness after being transferred to a hospital in the capital on Saturday, Maldives presidential spokesperson, Mohamed Hussain Shareef said, announcing the suspension of rescue.

Decompression sickness occurs when depressurised gas (usually nitrogen) exits the solution phase in tissues and obstructs the circulation by forming bubbles. This can happen after a quick ascent from deep-sea diving, according to the National Library of Medicine.

The three Finnish divers joined the Maldives coastguard in a meeting aimed at mapping a new search strategy, said Mr Shareef.

Earlier, Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani said they would do everything possible to bring home the bodies and offered condolences for Mahudhee’s death.

His ministry stated it was coordinating with Divers Alert Network, a specialist diving organisation, to support recovery operations and the repatriation of the bodies. The cause of the deaths remains under investigation.

While the victims, Montefalcone and Oddenino, were in the Maldives on an official scientific mission to monitor marine environments and study the effects of climate change on tropical biodiversity, the scuba diving activity during which the deadly accident occurred was not part of the planned research and was “undertaken privately,” the University of Genoa said in a statement Friday.

The university also said that student Sommacal and recent graduate Gualtieri were not involved in the scientific mission.

Cave diving is a highly technical and dangerous activity that requires specialised training, equipment and strict safety protocols with risk increasing dramatically for the divers if they cannot head straight up and at depth, particularly when conditions are poor.

Explaining the complexity of the cave structure, the Italian foreign ministry said it is divided into three large chambers connected by narrow passages. Recovery teams on Friday explored two of the three chambers, but the search was limited due to considerations over oxygen and decompression.

Earlier, Italian officials said that around 20 other Italians on the same expedition aboard the vessel “Duke of York” were safe.

The country’s mission in Colombo was also providing assistance to those on board.

Meanwhile, the Maldives tourism ministry announced suspending the operating license of the “Duke of York” pending an investigation.

Source: independent.co.uk