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Authorities said rescue teams continued searching for a third consecutive day for the missing divers, who failed to return after a diving excursion on Thursday. One body from the group was recovered on the same day.
The University of Genoa confirmed that the victims included a marine biology professor, her daughter, and two young researchers.
Government spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef said an investigation has been launched to determine why the divers descended beyond the officially permitted depth of 30 metres.
Officials revealed that one diver’s body, whose identity has not yet been publicly disclosed, was found inside an underwater cave at a depth of 60 metres.
The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation announced the indefinite suspension of the operating licence of the MV Duke of York while investigations into the incident continue.
The 36-metre luxury vessel is capable of accommodating up to 25 guests and is commonly used for diving excursions.
Italy’s foreign ministry confirmed on Thursday that all five Italian nationals involved in the incident had died.
The Maldives, made up of 1,192 coral islands spread across the Indian Ocean, is widely known as a luxury tourism destination popular among divers and water sports enthusiasts.
Although diving and water-sport accidents are relatively uncommon in the island nation, several fatal incidents have been recorded in recent years.
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