Five Italian divers died during a scuba diving expedition in the Maldives after disappearing while exploring underwater caves near Vaavu Atoll, according to Italian and Maldivian authorities.
The group was believed to have entered a cave system at a depth of about 50 metres on Thursday morning before failing to resurface.
Officials said the divers had been travelling aboard the Duke of York yacht and were reported missing after midday.
One body was later recovered from a cave about 60 metres underwater, while the remaining four were believed to still be inside the same cave system.
Authorities described the recovery mission as highly dangerous because of the depth and difficult underwater conditions.
Maldivian authorities launched a large-scale operation involving coast guard vessels, aircraft and specialist dive teams to recover the bodies.
Officials said rough sea conditions and strong currents were complicating the effort, with a yellow weather warning issued in the area at the time of the accident.
Presidential spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef said the cave was so deep that even highly equipped divers rarely attempt to approach it.
Italian diplomats and technical experts were assisting local authorities while the Italian Embassy remained in contact with the victims’ families.
Another 20 Italian nationals aboard the yacht were reported safe and receiving assistance.
The vessel remained near the area while waiting for weather conditions to improve before returning to Malé.
The University of Genoa identified four of the victims as ecology professor Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, research fellow Muriel Oddenino and marine biology graduate Federico Gualtieri.
The fifth victim was identified as diving instructor and boat operations manager Gianluca Benedetti.
Italian officials said the cave system contained three large chambers connected by narrow passages, with divers managing to explore two sections during an earlier search.
The exact cause of the accident remains under investigation, although diving experts suggested oxygen toxicity and strong Indian Ocean currents may have contributed.
The Maldives has recorded several fatal diving incidents in recent years, though accidents of this scale remain rare.