India, May 15 -- 5 Italian divers were killed in a scuba diving accident in the Maldives while attempting a deep cave exploration, authorities confirmed on Friday.

The incident occurred when the group reportedly attempted to explore underwater caves at a depth of around 50 metres in the Vaavu Atoll region. Officials said one diver was initially found dead inside a deep underwater cave, with the body recovered from nearly 60 metres below the surface.

The remaining four divers were also believed to be trapped inside the same cave system, prompting a large-scale search and rescue operation involving boats, aircraft, and specialized dive teams.

Maldivian authorities have described the operation as highly complex and risky due to challengin...