A rescue diver has died while searching for the bodies of four Italians who drowned while diving in the Maldives.
Staff Sergeant Mohamed Mahdi was taken to hospital in a critical condition where he later died of his injuries, a government spokesman said in comments to the BBC on Saturday.
Five Italians have died trying to explore caves more than 50 metres deep. So far, only one body is likely to have been found in the cave at a depth of about 60 metres.
The tragedy is considered the greatest diving accident to have occurred in this small Indian Ocean nation. The Maldives is a popular tourist destination due to its chain of coral islands.
Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzou visited the Vaavu atoll on Saturday to observe search operations.
The Maldives military described the rescue operation as extremely risky as teams had to work in unfavourable weather conditions.
Four Italian divers were part of the University of Genoa team. They included ecology professor Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, who was a student, research assistant Muriel Oddenino and marine biology graduate Federico Gualtieri.
The fifth was boat operations manager and diving instructor Gianlucu Benedetti.
According to local media reports, all five plunged into the water off Vaavu Atoll on Thursday morning. They were reported missing after they failed to surface in a set time.
Police said there was stormy weather in the area, about 100 kilometres south of the capital Male. A yellow warning was issued for passenger boats and fishermen.
Author photo, Instagram/University of Genoa/Albatros Top Boat
Government spokesman Mohamed Hussain Sharif said recreational divers were only allowed to dive to a depth of 30 metres and now you were moving, and now you were moving. At a depth of 60 metres underwater.
The Italian Foreign Ministry earlier said 20 other Italian nationals on the Duke of York yacht, from which five divers set off, were unhurt and were being assisted by the Italian Embassy in Sri Lanka.