Maldives rescuers search for missing Italian divers feared drowned
Italy's foreign ministry said last night that five Italian citizens had died while diving, with Maldivian authorities recovering one body.
A desperate search stretched into a second day in the Maldives as rescue teams combed the waters for four missing Italians after what officials described as the country’s deadliest diving accident.
Italy’s foreign ministry said last night that five Italian citizens had died while diving, with Maldivian authorities recovering one body.
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Maldives Minister of Tourism Mohamed Ameen said coast guard officers and security forces were sweeping remote seas near the area where the divers were reported missing yesterday afternoon.
“I am deeply saddened by the tragic deep diving accident in Vaavu Atoll today,” Mr Ameen said in a statement.
The University of Genoa said those involved included a marine biology professor, her daughter and two young researchers.
They had been diving in Vaavu Atoll, about a 90-minute speedboat journey from the capital, Male.
The search for the bodies of the missing divers continued in the Indian Ocean archipelago of the Maldives
The Maldives, made up of 1,192 small coral islands spread across about 800km of the equator in the Indian Ocean, is an upmarket holiday destination that draws divers who often stay at isolated resorts or aboard dive boats.
Local officials said Maldivian authorities worked through the night despite poor weather. The diver whose body was recovered has not been publicly identified.
“I pray for the recovery of the missing individuals,” Mr Ameen added.
The Maldivian National Defence Force (MNDF), which is leading the search and rescue operation, said the first body was found in a cave at a depth of 60 metres.
“It is believed that the remaining four divers are also inside the same cave,” the MNDF said.
Under local regulations, dives are allowed to a maximum depth of 30 metres, though experienced professionals are known to descend further.
Police said conditions were rough in Vaavu Atoll yesterday and that warnings had been issued for passenger boats and fishermen.
The Italians were aboard a live-aboard dive boat, and police said the alarm was raised when they did not return at the scheduled time.
Accidents linked to diving and other water sports are relatively uncommon in the South Asian nation, though several fatal incidents have been recorded in recent years.
Local media reports said at least 112 tourists had died in marine-related incidents across the archipelago over the past six years, including 42 in diving or snorkelling accidents.
