UPDATE 1-Bodies of two Italians killed in scuba diving accident recovered, Maldives government says

The bodies of two ​Italian divers killed in ‌a scuba ​diving accident in the Maldives have been recovered, a Maldives government spokesperson said on Tuesday, as ‌efforts continue to retrieve the remains of two others.

The divers were part of a group of five who entered a deepwater cave last week. The ‌remains of one among them – their instructor – was recovered on Friday. The ‌bodies were brought up to 30 metres by a specialist team of Finnish divers – who joined the efforts this week – after which Maldivian divers and the police ⁠assisted in ​bringing them ⁠to the surface, spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef told Reuters. "Identities have not been confirmed yet, ⁠but we know that it's a male and female body that has been ​recovered," he said.

The group that entered the cave was led by ⁠Monica Montefalcone, 51, a University of Genoa professor and marine ecologist who was a regular ⁠diver ​in Maldivian waters in the Indian Ocean, and also included her daughter. Maldivian authorities are probing multiple possible factors behind the accident – ⁠the deadliest single incident in the country's diving history – including whether the divers descended ⁠far deeper ⁠than expected. The two remaining bodies will be recovered on Wednesday, according to the government's plan.

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