The bodies of four missing Italian scuba divers have been located inside an underwater cave in the Maldives, days after a diving expedition turned deadly, government officials confirmed Monday.

The group disappeared while exploring caves in the Vaavu Atoll on Thursday. 

One diver, instructor Gianluca Benedetti, was found near the cave entrance shortly after the incident, while rescue teams searched for the remaining four.

According to Maldives government spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef, the missing divers were found in the deepest section of the cave system following a multinational recovery effort involving local authorities and international cave diving experts.

The victims were identified as Monica Montefalcone, an ecology professor at the University of Genoa, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, marine biologist Federico Gualtieri and researcher Muriel Oddenino .

The operation was temporarily suspended after senior military diver Sgt. Mohamed Mahudhee died during a recovery mission on Saturday.

Shareef said the tragedy highlighted the dangers faced by rescuers.

“He was one of the most senior divers, which shows just how challenging this dive is,” Shareef said.

Divers from the Divers Alert Network, Maldives coast guard and local police resumed operations on Monday using specialised underwater scooters and advanced breathing equipment.

Authorities said the bodies are expected to be recovered over the coming days.