A special technical team sent by the Italian government is expected to arrive in the Maldives soon to assist the ongoing search and recovery operation for four missing Italian divers in Vaavu Atoll, Government Spokesperson Mohamed Hussein Shareef has said.

Search operations resumed on Saturday morning at around 10:30 a.m., with divers from the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) carrying out a second dive in the area.

Speaking to MMTV, Shareef said Friday’s operation had been conducted under very difficult conditions.

“Today’s dive operation is being carried out based on the progress and findings from yesterday’s dive,” he said.

Shareef said technical assistance is also being provided by experts from Italy, Australia and the United Kingdom. He added that arrangements for the arrival of the Italian specialist team have now been finalised and the team is expected to join the operation shortly.

The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation has meanwhile suspended the operating licence of the safari vessel MV Duke of York, which had taken the divers to the area, as authorities investigate the incident.

Authorities received reports at around 1:45 p.m. on Thursday that five Italian divers who had gone diving in Vaavu Atoll were missing.

Later that evening, at around 6:13 p.m., MNDF confirmed that one diver had been found dead inside a cave located at a depth of approximately 60 metres underwater.

Authorities believe the remaining four missing divers may also be inside the cave, with search and recovery efforts continuing in the area.