Five Italians Die During Scuba Diving Excursion In Maldives

By Shakir Husain

HYDERABAD, May 15 (Bernama) -- Five Italian tourists died during a scuba diving excursion in the Maldives on Thursday, the Italian Foreign Ministry said.

"The divers are reported to have died while attempting to explore caves at a depth of 50 metres. The reconstruction of the incident is still underway by the Maldivian authorities," it said in a statement.

The mishap took place at the Vaavu Atoll, about 65 kilometres from the capital, Male.

The Maldives coast guard sent divers and special equipment to recover the bodies.

"The Coast Guard and all relevant authorities are actively engaged in the search and recovery operation," Maldives Tourism Minister Mohamed Ameen said in a post on X.

The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), in a statement, described the search operation as high risk.

The incident was reported around 1.45 pm on Thursday.

One body was found inside a cave at a depth of about 60 metres, and the remaining four were also believed to be in the same area, the MNDF said.

-- BERNAMA