Authorities have recovered the bodies of two Italian divers who went missing last Thursday during an excursion in Vaavu Atoll. The recovery follows an intensive search operation that involved international assistance after a group of five divers encountered difficulties.

While one body was discovered shortly after the incident on Thursday, the locations of the remaining four divers were identified yesterday with the assistance of a specialized diving team from Finland. According to state media PSM, the two bodies retrieved today were located inside a deep underwater cave at a depth of approximately 60 meters.

The search operation has been marked by further tragedy, as Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) diver Sergeant First Class Mohamed Mahudhee passed away last Saturday while participating in the efforts to locate the missing group. Operations continue to retrieve the remaining individuals from the site.