Italy's foreign ministry has confirmed the deaths of five Italians in a scuba diving incident in the Maldives.

The ministry indicated that the divers likely perished while probing caves at a depth of 50 metres (164ft) in Vaavu Atoll.

Four divers belonged to a University of Genoa team, which included ecology professor Monica Montefalcone, her daughter, and two fellow researchers.

Maldives military officials reported recovering one body from a cave roughly 60m underwater, with the remaining four presumed in the vicinity.

Specialized recovery teams equipped for extreme conditions have been deployed, though the operation carries immense risk.

This event stands as the most devastating single diving mishap in the Indian Ocean archipelago, famed for its stunning coral atolls and appeal to tourists.

The group descended into the water on Thursday morning, according to local news outlets.

Their dive boat's crew raised the alarm after the divers failed to return to the surface.

Police highlighted rough seas in the region, located 100km (62 miles) south of capital Malé, issuing a yellow alert for passenger vessels and fishing boats.

The University of Genoa identified the four team members as professor Montefalcone, student and daughter Giorgia Sommacal, research fellow Muriel Oddenino, and marine biology graduate Federico Gualtieri.

The fifth fatality was Gianluca Benedetti, serving as the boat's operations manager and diving instructor.

The university issued a statement on X conveying its profound condolences to the bereaved families.

Fatalities from diving and snorkelling remain infrequent in the Maldives, yet several have surfaced in recent times.

For instance, a Japanese lawmaker lost his life while snorkelling in Lhaviyani Atoll in 2024.