Five Italians have died in a scuba diving accident in the Maldives, according to the foreign ministry in Rome.
The divers are believed to have died while exploring caves at a depth of 50 metres (164ft) in Vaavu Atoll. Four of the divers were part of a University of Genoa team, including professor of ecology Monica Montefalcone, her daughter, and two researchers.
The Maldives' military reported that one body had been recovered from a cave approximately 60m underwater, while the search continued for the other four divers.
Divers equipped specially for high-risk operations are conducting the search, working alongside Italian officials who are coordinating with Maldivian authorities.
Italy's foreign ministry has confirmed that another 20 Italian nationals aboard the Duke of York yacht from which the five divers departed are safe and receiving assistance from the Embassy of Italy in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
This incident marks one of the worst diving accidents in the Maldives, a country famous for its coral islands and diving sites. The five divers went missing on Thursday morning after failing to resurface.
Weather conditions were reported to be rough in the area, raising safety concerns for other ships in the vicinity.
The victims have been identified as Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, research fellow Muriel Oddenino, marine biology graduate Federico Gualtieri, and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti.
A dive master suggests oxygen toxicity could have contributed to the accident, emphasizing the risks associated with deep diving, particularly under challenging environmental conditions.
Despite being a popular diving destination, tragic accidents like this serve as a somber reminder as diving and snorkeling incidents are relatively rare in the Maldives, though fatalities have occurred.
