Authorities search waters in the Maldives for 4 Italians killed in a cave dive after 1 body found
Officials said one body was recovered from a cave 60 meters deep as specialist divers searched for four others and investigated the cause.
- On Thursday, five Italian tourists died in the Maldives' Vaavu Atoll, an incident local officials described as the worst diving accident in the nation's history.
- The group vanished while diving from the Duke vessel, during rough weather conditions with a yellow weather warning in place and winds reaching almost 50km/h.
- Among the dead were 55-year-old marine biologist Monica Montefalcone and her 20-year-old daughter Giorgia Sommacal, alongside Muriel Oddenino, Federico Gualtieri, and Gianluca Benedetti.
- Maldives National Defence Force crews discovered the bodies inside the cave network about 60 metres below the surface during a search operation they characterized as "high risk."
- The University offered "deepest condolences" to the community, while Italy's Foreign Ministry confirmed it is providing consular assistance to the families via the embassy in Sri Lanka.
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The group did not return to the surface, so the crew of the activity alerted the local authorities. Bad weather makes searches in the caves that reach 50 meters deep.
5 tourists killed, 4 bodies still missing after deep-sea cave diving accident
MALE, Maldives — Five tourists died during a cave diving accident in the Maldives, as rescue teams continue a complex and dangerous operation to locate the remaining victims believed to be trapped underwater.
Divers tried to explore caverns 50 meters deep, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy. Local government started extensive rescue operation and studies asking for international help. Bad weather and remote cave complex works.
Monica Montefalcone's husband doesn't give peace: "He did 5,000 dives. Maybe he had a GoPro and we will understand something." The rescuers recovered only Gianluca Benedetti's corpse. The Procura di Roma investigates the causes of the deaths. Tomorrow they will resume the research of the bodies of Italian divers who lost their lives in a cave more than 50 meters deep in the Atoll of Vaavu, in the Maldives.
Channel News Asia
Channels TelevisionMaldives rescuers search for four drowned Italian divers
“We are deeply saddened by this tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families,” Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu said as rescuers searched for four missing Italian divers near a deep underwater cave.
"I'm sick of hearing lies about the tragedy involving my wife Monica Montefalcone and my daughter Giorgia. Stop it, I'm going to talk." Standing at the door of a...
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