Maldives authorities search for bodies of 4 Italians killed in cave dive after 1 body found | CNN

Maldivian authorities conducted a high-risk search Friday for the bodies of four Italian divers who died in a scuba accident in a deep underwater cave a day before. The body of a fifth diver was recovered on Thursday, officials said. The five divers, including an instructor, were believed to have been exploring the cave when they went missing, according to Maldivian presidential spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef. “The cave is so deep that divers even with the best equipment do not try to approach,” he said. Italy’s Foreign Ministry said the five divers “apparently died while attempting to explore caves at a depth of 50 meters (164 feet)” in the Vaavu Atoll on Thursday. It added the circumstances of their death remain under investigation. Maldivian authorities launched a major rescue operation after the incident on Thursday, deploying boats, aircraft and dive teams to search the area. Rescuers recovered one body from about 60 meters (200 feet) below the surface on Thursday, and a first round of searches failed to locate the remaining four divers, who were thought to be inside the same cave, Maldivian officials said. Search teams were preparing for a second dive Friday,

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