Five people have died on a scuba diving excursion in the Maldives, Italy’s foreign ministry has announced.The five people, who were all Italian nationals, were scuba diving off Vaavu Atoll, the ministry said in a statement.

“The divers are reported to have died while attempting to explore caves at a depth of 50 metres,” the statement read.

Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, and Muriel Oddenino are among five tourists dead in the Maldives. (Instagram)

“The reconstruction of the incident is still underway by the Maldivian authorities.”

The Maldives defence force said in a statement that one body had been found in a cave 60 metres below the ocean’s surface.

The other four bodies were also believed to be in the cave, with a “high risk” search operation underway.

The group was reported missing by the crew of the boat they had ridden out on when they failed to surface.

The Maldives is a popular tourist destination. (Getty)

The University of Genoa identified four of the victims on social media.

“The University of Genoa expresses its deepest condolences for the sudden and tragic passing of Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, Muriel Oddenino, and Federico Gualtieri,” the institution’s X account said.

Montefalcone was an associate professor of ecology at the university and a marine biology expert.

Oddenino was a research assistant at the same university, while Gualtieri was a recent graduate.

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