NewsWorld newsMaldivesThe bodies of four Italian divers - Giorgia Sommacal, Monica Montefalcone, Muriel Oddenino and Federico Gualtieri - who went missing last week in the Maldives have been located12:57, 18 May 2026Updated 13:33, 18 May 2026The bodies of four Italian divers who went missing during a scuba-diving accident in the Maldives have been located.‌Giorgia Sommacal, Monica Montefalcone, Gianluca Benedetti, Muriel Oddenino and Federico Gualtieri are believed to have died while exploring a cave around 160ft underwater in Vaavu Atoll on Thursday, according to Italy's Foreign Ministry. The recreational diving limit in the Maldives is 98ft.‌Search efforts resumed on Monday after being suspended following the death of a local military diver, Mohamed Mahudhee, during a dangerous mission to try to reach them.‌The incident is believed to be the worst single diving accident in the history of the Indian Ocean nation. Four of the Italian divers were part of a University of Genoa team, including ecology professor Monica Montefalcone, her daughter and two researchers.The body of Mr Benedetti, a boat operations manager and diving instructor, was found earlier outside the cave.‌Three Finnish divers arrived in the Maldives on Sunday to work out a new strategy to recover the bodies of the remaining four divers, who were believed to be inside the cave system. Italy’s Foreign Ministry announced on Monday that all four bodies had since been found.Maldives presidential spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef said the search had been suspended after Mr Mahudhee, a member of the Maldivian National Defence Force, died from decompression sickness after being transferred to a hospital in the capital on Saturday.‌Mr Shareef said the Finnish divers, who specialise in deep and cave diving, had joined the Maldives coastguard in efforts to map out a new search plan. Rescue operations had been repeatedly hampered by rough weather.Earlier search teams had managed to identify and mark the entrance to the cave system where the Italians disappeared. The cause of the deaths remains under investigation.Article continues belowItalian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani offered his condolences: "These days of grief for Italy are compounded by the news that one of your brave soldiers... died while attempting to dive to reach the bodies of our fellow Italians.""This tragedy unites Italy and the Maldives in grief and respect for the victims," he added.Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌Breaking NewsItalyMaldives