The Italian government confirmed on Monday that the bodies of four Italian divers were located in an underwater cave in the Maldives.

The body of a fifth Italian, a diving instructor, had been found earlier outside the cave entrance. The group was believed to be exploring at a depth of 50 meters beneath the Maldives' Vaavu Atoll last Thursday, far below the country's legal diving limit of 30 meters.

An effort by the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) to recover the group was called off on Saturday after diver Mohamed Mahudhee died of underwater decompression sickness.

On Sunday, three expert Finnish volunteers arrived in the Maldives and drew up a fresh plan to search the cave system extensively for the missing four Italians. Rough weather initially hampered their attempts, but the trio was eventually able to locate the bodies.

According to the MNDF, it will take time to bring the deceased divers up to the surface. Their official causes of death remain under investigation.

Source: www.dw.com