Five Italians die in scuba diving accident in Maldives

Five Italian nationals died in a scuba diving accident in Vaavu Atoll in the Maldives on Thursday, a senior minister said.

Maldivian Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Mohamed Ameen said in a post on X that the accident occurred during a scuba diving trip in the atoll, located south of the capital Male.

Local media reported that the divers had attempted to explore caves at a depth of about 50 meters.

The Maldives National Defence Force said aircraft and speedboats were deployed after the five divers were reported missing on Thursday afternoon. It noted that rescuers had recovered one body from inside a cave, and that the remaining four divers are believed to be inside the same cave, which extends to a depth of about 60 meters.

The University of Genoa in Italy later confirmed the victims included a marine biology professor from the institution, her daughter, and two young researchers.

Police said rough weather prevailed in Vaavu Atoll on Thursday, with a yellow warning issued for passenger boats and fishermen.

Local media said around 112 tourists had died in marine incidents in the archipelago in the past six years, with 42 of them falling victim to diving or snorkeling accidents.