A Maldivian government spokesperson says the remains of four Italian divers who died in an underwater cave in the Maldives have been repatriated.

Divers in the Maldives searched Saturday for the bodies of four Italian divers believed to be deep inside an underwater cave, after rough weather repeatedly hampered the effort the previous day.

Five Italian tourists have died during a cave diving expedition in the Maldives' Vaavu Atoll. The group, exploring depths of approximately 50 meters, failed to resurface, leading to a search and recovery operation described as the nation's deadliest diving accident.