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Bodies of four Italian divers recovered in Maldives
Rescue teams have located the remains of four Italian divers who vanished during a scuba expedition in the Maldives last week. The group was discovered inside a deep underwater cave in Vaavu Atoll, officials confirmed to the BBC on Monday.
Search operation details
A specialized team of Finnish and Maldivian divers found the four bodies approximately 60 meters (197 feet) below the surface, deep inside the cave. The cave's third section, the farthest from the entrance, held the remains, according to Italy's foreign ministry. Recovery efforts are ongoing, with two bodies expected to be brought to the surface on Tuesday and the remaining two on Wednesday.
The body of a fifth Italian diver, identified as Gianluca Benedetti, was recovered shortly after the group failed to resurface on Thursday. Benedetti served as the group's boat operations manager and diving instructor.
Tragedy strikes rescue team
A Maldivian rescue diver, Staff Sgt Mohamed Mahdhee, died on Saturday while participating in the search. Mahdhee was part of an eight-person team that descended to locate the missing divers. After surfacing, the team realized Mahdhee had not returned. A subsequent search found him unconscious, but he could not be revived.
Background of the expedition
The group consisted of researchers from the University of Genoa, including Prof Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, and colleagues Muriel Oddenino and Federico Gualtieri. They had obtained a permit to conduct coral research, valid until Sunday, which allowed dives up to 50 meters deep. However, the permit did not mention the cave, which has an entrance at 47 meters below the surface.
According to Maldivian government spokesperson Mohamed Hossain Shareef, the group's proposal outlined research across several atolls, including Vaavu, using a dive boat named Duke of York. Only three of the five divers were listed as researchers on the permit; neither Sommacal nor Benedetti were included.
Investigation and weather conditions
Authorities are investigating the cause of the accident. Weather conditions were reportedly rough in the area, located about 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of the capital, Malé, at the time of the incident. A yellow warning had been issued for passenger boats and fishermen, signaling hazardous conditions.
The University of Genoa has not yet commented on the specifics of the research mission. A spokesperson told the BBC they would provide details "when there is information."
Worst diving accident in Maldives history
Officials believe this incident marks the deadliest single diving accident in the Maldives, a nation renowned for its coral islands and popular among tourists for scuba diving.
