The bodies of four Italian divers who died after going missing during a dive trip in Vaavu Atoll are scheduled to be flown back to Italy early tomorrow morning.
The incident occurred on May 14, when five Italian divers disappeared while diving in the atoll.
According to Presidential Spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef, arrangements have been completed to repatriate the four bodies to Italy. He added that autopsies will be carried out there, and the findings will later be shared with Maldivian investigators.
The bodies were located on May 18 during a joint search and recovery effort involving the MNDF Coast Guard, Maldives Police Service, and experienced international divers deployed with assistance from the Italian government. Authorities found the victims inside the underwater cave where the group had been diving.
Two bodies were recovered on May 19, while the remaining two were brought out the following day.
DAN Europe, which assisted in the operation, said a final dive was conducted yesterday to recover equipment left inside the cave and gather material that could support the ongoing investigation.
The tragedy claimed the lives of five Italian nationals in total, including four divers and a diving instructor, whose body had been recovered earlier.
A Maldivian military diver who participated in the recovery mission also died during the operation.
The recovery effort additionally involved three highly experienced Finnish divers sent with the support of the Italian authorities.
