Topic analysis

Maldives: Bodies of missing Italian divers found

The group went missing five days earlier while exploring an underwater cave system. The Italian government confirmed on Monday that the bodies of four Italian divers were located in an underwater cave in the Maldives.   "As was previously thought, the four bodies were found inside the cave, not only inside the cave but well inside the cave into the third segment of the cave, which is the largest part," said Ahmed Shaam, a Maldives government spokesman, adding the four were found “pretty much together.” 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 (160 feet) beneath the Maldives' Vaavu Atoll last Thursday, far below the country's legal diving limit of 30 meters.  An effort by the Maldive's National Defense Force (MDNF) 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 MDNF, it will take time to bring the deceased divers up to the surface. Their official causes of death remain under investigation. Edited by: Louis Oelofse