The bodies of four Italian divers who went missing during a scuba diving accident in the Maldives last week have been located, officials have confirmed to the BBC. The Italians were found inside a 60-metre-deep (197ft) cave in Vaavu Atoll by a joint team of highly trained Finnish and Maldivian divers. The body of a fifth Italian diver, a member of the group, had already been recovered shortly after Thursday's accident. A Maldivian rescue diver also died on Saturday while searching for the bodies of the group.
This incident is believed to be the worst single diving accident in the tiny Indian Ocean nation, a popular tourist destination because of its string of coral islands. Further dives [are] to be carried out in the coming days to recover the bodies, Mohamed Hossain Shareef, a Maldivian government spokesperson, said in a message to the BBC. Two of the bodies are expected to be recovered on Tuesday and the remaining two the following day.
Italy's foreign ministry reported that the four bodies were located in the cave's third section - the furthest from the entrance - and that additional dives would be needed to recover them. A preliminary search had uncovered the body of the first victim near the cave's entrance on Thursday.
Among the deceased were Prof. Monica Montefalcone and research fellow Muriel Oddenino from the University of Genoa, along with Giorgia Sommacal, Prof. Montefalcone's daughter, and recent graduate Federico Gualtieri. The group had entered the water at Vaavu Atoll on Thursday morning but failed to resurface, prompting search and rescue operations. The authorities confirmed that the conditions were rough in the area at the time.
While the group was granted permission to conduct scientific research on marine biodiversity, there was no mention of the cave dive in their proposal. The investigation continues to determine the tragedy's causes, overshadowed by the loss of life, including that of Staff Sgt Mohamed Mahdhee, a rescue diver involved in the search efforts.
This incident is believed to be the worst single diving accident in the tiny Indian Ocean nation, a popular tourist destination because of its string of coral islands. Further dives [are] to be carried out in the coming days to recover the bodies, Mohamed Hossain Shareef, a Maldivian government spokesperson, said in a message to the BBC. Two of the bodies are expected to be recovered on Tuesday and the remaining two the following day.
Italy's foreign ministry reported that the four bodies were located in the cave's third section - the furthest from the entrance - and that additional dives would be needed to recover them. A preliminary search had uncovered the body of the first victim near the cave's entrance on Thursday.
Among the deceased were Prof. Monica Montefalcone and research fellow Muriel Oddenino from the University of Genoa, along with Giorgia Sommacal, Prof. Montefalcone's daughter, and recent graduate Federico Gualtieri. The group had entered the water at Vaavu Atoll on Thursday morning but failed to resurface, prompting search and rescue operations. The authorities confirmed that the conditions were rough in the area at the time.
While the group was granted permission to conduct scientific research on marine biodiversity, there was no mention of the cave dive in their proposal. The investigation continues to determine the tragedy's causes, overshadowed by the loss of life, including that of Staff Sgt Mohamed Mahdhee, a rescue diver involved in the search efforts.
