Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, said the Italian government “will do everything possible to recover the bodies of our compatriots”.

Diving at 50 metres exceeds the maximum depth recommended for recreational divers by most scuba certifying agencies. Depths beyond 40 metres are considered technical diving, which requires specialised training and equipment. The recreational diving limit in the Maldives is 30 metres (98ft), and experts have warned that cave divers could easily become disoriented or lost, particularly when sediment clouds reduce visibility.

The Italians were passengers onboard a 36-metre luxury yacht the Duke of York, whose operating licence was suspended “indefinitely” on Saturday by the Maldivian ministry of tourism and civil aviation, pending the outcome of an investigation. A website link related to the ship was not working on Saturday and the owner of the yacht did not immediately respond to a request for comment by the Guardian.

Shareef said investigators were looking into why the group went below the officially permitted depth of 30 metres.

Bodies aren’t worth risking lives 🤪 Antonio is such a tool!