In brief
- The bodies of four Italian divers have been found in the Maldives following a days-long search.
- A rescue diver also died over the weekend while searching for the bodies.
Italian officials have confirmed the discovery of the bodies of four Italian divers, who were found deep within an underwater cave in the Maldives.
Efforts to locate the divers resumed on Monday after being paused due to the tragic loss of a local military diver who died during a hazardous rescue attempt.
Authorities had previously recovered the body of an Italian diving instructor, found outside the entrance of the cave.
According to Italy’s Foreign Ministry, the divers are believed to have perished while exploring a cave approximately 50 meters deep in Vaavu Atoll last Thursday.
It’s important to note that recreational diving in the Maldives typically restricts dives to a maximum depth of 30 meters.
In response to the incident, Maldivian authorities suspended the operating license of the luxury vessel from which the Italian divers had embarked on their ill-fated dive.
The University of Genoa said the victims included a marine biology professor, her daughter and two young researchers.
The local government is investigating why the group went below the officially permitted depth of 30m.
The incident is the deadliest diving disaster to have occurred in the Maldives.
Diving and water sport-related accidents are relatively rare in the South Asian nation, although several fatal incidents have been reported in recent years.
The low-lying Maldives, a nation of 1,192 tiny coral islands scattered some 800km across the equator in the Indian Ocean, is a luxury holiday destination popular with divers, who often stay at secluded resorts or on liveaboard dive boats.
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