Five Italian nationals have died in a scuba diving accident in the Maldives after they went missing during a deep cave-diving expedition in Vaavu Atoll, according to Italy’s foreign ministry and local authorities.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Italy’s foreign ministry said the divers were believed to have died while attempting to explore underwater caves at depths of around 50 metres.
“Following an accident that occurred during a scuba diving trip, five Italian nationals have died in Vaavu Atoll, in the Maldives,” the ministry said.
The victims included a marine biology professor, her daughter and two young researchers.
The group reportedly failed to return from the dive near Vaavu Atoll, located south of the Maldivian capital, Malé.
The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) said aircraft and speedboats were deployed after the divers were reported missing on Thursday afternoon.
“One body has been found among five divers who went diving in Vaavu Atoll,” the MNDF said in a statement.
“The body was found inside a cave. It is believed that the remaining four divers are also inside the same cave, which extends to a depth of about 60 metres.”
Local officials described the tragedy as the worst single diving accident in the island nation, a luxury tourism destination widely popular for scuba diving and marine tourism.
Authorities said weather conditions in Vaavu Atoll were rough on Thursday, with a yellow warning issued for passenger boats and fishermen.
The MNDF said a coastguard vessel remained in the area coordinating overnight search operations, while additional coastguard divers were being deployed to assist efforts.
Marine-related tourist accidents are relatively uncommon in the Maldives, though several fatal incidents have been reported in recent years.
A British tourist died while diving in December, while a Japanese tourist went missing after a diving expedition near Malé in June.
According to local media reports, at least 112 tourists have died in marine-related incidents in the Maldives over the past six years, including 42 linked to diving or snorkelling accidents.
