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Terrifying accident, 5 Italian citizens lose their lives while diving in a cave in the Maldives
2026-05-15 16:03:36 / BOTA
Five Italian citizens have died in a scuba diving accident in the Maldives, the foreign ministry in Rome said.
"The divers are believed to have lost their lives while trying to explore caves at a depth of 50 meters (164 feet)," the ministry said, adding that it happened in Vaavu Atoll.
Four of the divers were part of a team from the University of Genoa, including ecology professor Monica Montefalcone, her daughter and two researchers.
The Maldivian military said a body had been found in a cave about 60 meters underwater, and it is believed that four other divers were also there.
Divers with special equipment were said to have been sent to the area, describing the search operation as very high risk, the BBC writes.
The incident is believed to be the worst diving accident in the small Indian Ocean nation, a popular tourist destination because of its string of coral islands.
The five Italians entered the water on Thursday morning, local media reported.
The crew of the dive boat they were traveling on reported them missing when they failed to surface later.
Police said the weather was bad in the area, about 100km south of the capital Malé. A yellow warning was issued for passenger ships and fishermen.
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