Rescuers have located the bodies of four Italian divers who went missing in the Maldives, sparking unanswered questions about their tragic deaths.

Reports indicate that five Italian divers perished while exploring a cave approximately 50 meters deep in Vaavu Atoll last Thursday, as confirmed by the Italian ministry. Following the distress call, a search mission was initiated but halted after a local military diver lost his life in a risky attempt to reach them.

After four days of being reported missing, the four bodies were discovered, while the fifth diver, identified as a diving instructor, had been found earlier outside the cave.

The government of the Maldives confirmed that the bodies were found deep inside the cave by three Finnish diving experts, with support from the Maldives police and military. The circumstances leading to the divers being found at a depth of approximately 50 meters, beyond the legal diving limit of 30 meters in the Maldives, remain unknown.

Maldives presidential spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef expressed uncertainty over why the divers ventured into a cave at a depth exceeding the legal limit, echoing previous statements made to the BBC.

The exact causes of death for the five Italian divers are still under investigation. Maldives government spokesman Ahmed Shaam provided an update on the tragic discovery, mentioning that the bodies were found well inside the cave, with plans to recover them in stages.

Among the victims were university professor Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, Muriel Oddenino, Gianluca Benedetti, and Federico Gualtieri, as reported by local sources.

Search efforts were hindered by adverse weather conditions, with initial teams marking the cave entrance where the divers disappeared.

The search operation was briefly suspended following the death of Mohamed Mahudhee, a member of the Maldivian national defense force, due to underwater decompression sickness.