The first pictures of the underwater cave where five Italian divers died have been made public as four of their bodies were repatriated to Milan Saturday for Italian prosecutors to advance their manslaughter investigation.

The photos were taken by one of the elite Finnish divers called in to recover the remaining victims, after the Maldives National Defense Forces’ search killed one of their own rescuers.

 

 

 

A diver with a rebreather and lights navigates an underwater cave in the Maldives.
The first set of images, near the mouth of the cave, shows the sunlight still lighting the way.DAN Europe

A diver exploring an underwater cave in the Maldives.
An image taken near the entrance of the cave, where diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti was found.DAN Europe
The five Italians vanished during a deep-water dive inside a cave 164 feet underwater in Vaavu Atoll, in what officials called the worst diving accident in the island nation’s history.