5 Italian divers die while exploring cave in Maldives

Five Italian divers have died in a scuba diving accident in the Maldives after they attempted to explore an underwater cave, according to Italy’s Foreign Ministry. Maldivian authorities are investigating the circumstances.

The divers went missing on Thursday near Alimatha in Vaavu Atoll, a group of islands in the central Maldives. The Maldives National Defence Force said its Maritime Rescue Coordination Center received a report at 1:45 p.m. after the divers failed to return.

The divers were trying to explore caves at a depth of about 50 meters (164 feet), according to Italy’s Foreign Ministry. The Maldives National Defence Force said one body was later found inside a cave.

The body was found at 6:13 p.m. by safari divers who had joined the search, officials said. The remaining four divers were believed to be inside the same cave.

Additional divers and special equipment were sent to the area because of the danger of the recovery operation.

Italy’s Foreign Ministry said the Italian Embassy in Colombo has been monitoring the accident since it was first reported and is contacting the victims’ families to provide consular assistance.

Italian broadcaster TG La7 identified the victims as Monica Montefalcone, an associate professor and researcher at the University of Genoa, and her daughter Giorgia Sommacal. The others were identified as Muriel Oddenino, a researcher from the Turin area, and diving instructors Gianluca Benedetti and Federico Gualtieri.

The University of Genoa said Montefalcone was an associate professor of ecology at its Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences. It said Sommacal was a biomedical engineering student, Oddenino was a research fellow at the same department, and Gualtieri was a recent graduate in marine biology and ecology.

“The sympathy of the entire university community goes out to the families, colleagues and students who shared their human and professional journey,” the university said in a statement.

The incident is believed to be the worst single diving accident in the Maldives, according to BBC News.