The bodies of two Italians who drowned in a scuba diving accident in the Maldives last week have been brought to the surface, local officials have told the BBC. 'They were retrieved from the third chamber of the underwater cave by the specialist divers from Finland after a two-hour operation,' Mohamed Hossain Shareef, a Maldivian government spokesperson, stated. The divers were part of a group exploring the underwater cave near Vaavu Atoll. Following the accident, two bodies have now been recovered, and search efforts for the remaining two are expected to resume soon. A first body belonging to Gianluca Benedetti, a diving instructor, was recovered shortly after the incident. The team had a permit allowing them to dive to a depth of 50 meters, but they did not disclose the specifics of the cave dive to the authorities. The tragic incident has sparked discussions about safety practices and the responsibilities of research institutions in ensuring the safety of their teams.