A prominent marine ecologist and four others had gone deep to explore underwater caves home to soft coral and batfish in a vulnerable part of the Indian Ocean.

Bad weather was hampering a major operation Friday in the Maldives to recover the bodies of five Italians killed in a scuba diving incident.

Bad weather was hampering a major operation Friday in the Maldives to recover the bodies of five Italians killed in a scuba diving incident.

May 15 (UPI) -- Bad weather was hampering a major operation Friday in the Maldives to recover the bodies of five Italians killed in a scuba diving incident while exploring underwater caves at a depth of more than 160 feet in the Vaavu Atoll area of the Indian Ocean archipelago.

May 15 (UPI) -- Bad weather was hampering a major operation Friday in the Maldives to recover the bodies of five Italians killed in a scuba diving incident while exploring underwater caves at a depth of more than 160 feet in the Vaavu Atoll area of the Indian Ocean archipelago.

Five Italians have died in a scuba diving accident in the Maldives, Italy's foreign ministry said on Thursday, with security forces in the Indian Ocean archipelago recovering one body.

Only one body has been recovered from the cave, with the remaining divers believed to still be inside the system, which extends to around 60 metres deep.

Only one body has been recovered from the cave, with the remaining divers believed to still be inside the system, which extends to around 60 metres deep.

The group was attempting to explore a series of underwater caves. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.