5 Italian tourists dead after exploring underwater caves in Maldives

Five Italian tourists have died in a scuba diving accident in the Maldives, according to the foreign ministry in Rome.

The tourists were in the Vaavu Atoll, attempting to explore caves at a depth of 50 metres, the ministry said in a press release.

The investigation into the incident is still underway by the Maldivian authorities and the embassy is in contact with the victims’ families to provide all necessary consular assistance, the ministry said.

“The Embassy of Italy in Colombo is also in contact with DAN, an insurance provider specializing in coverage for divers. DAN plans to coordinate with the local authorities to provide support both for the recovery of the bodies, offering its technical expertise, and for their repatriation,” the ministry said.

The insurance provider has also offered technical specialist assistance to contribute to a better understanding of the circumstances of the incident, according to the ministry.

“The other four divers are believed to be in the same cave where the first body was recovered, which extends to a depth of approximately 60 meters,” the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) said in a statement to Italian news agency ANSA.

The MNDF said the ongoing operation is “high risk” and involves specialized divers, vessels and air support.

The University of Genoa (UniGe) said the victims included Monica Montefalcone, 51, associate professor of ecology at the department of earth, environmental and life sciences; her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, 22, a UniGe student in biomedical engineering; Muriel Oddenino, 31, research fellow at DISTAV; and Federico Gualtieri, a recent UniGe master’s graduate in marine biology and ecology.

“The entire university community extends its condolences to his families, colleagues, and students who shared his personal and professional journey,” the university added in a statement.

It’s also reported that the fifth person was Gianluca Benedetti, the manager and diving instructor for Albatros Top Boat, the tour operator with offices in Verbania and the Maldives, according to Genoa newspaper Il Secolo XIX.

The five divers were believed to have been exploring the cave when they went missing, according to Maldivian presidential spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef.

“The cave is so deep that divers even with the best equipment do not try to approach,” he told The Associated Press.

The group had been on a morning dive near Alimathaa and was reported missing after failing to surface by midday Thursday, with weather conditions described as unfavourable at the time.

The ambassador of Italy to Colombo arrived in Malé on Friday to meet with officials and rescue vessels of the Maldivian Coast Guard, along with police and an Italian expert diver, who reached the site of the incident in which the five divers lost their lives.

The Embassy of Italy in Colombo said it was also providing assistance to the other 20 Italians aboard the Duke of York, who took part in the expedition with the five tourists who died.

“The Embassy has been in contact with the Red Crescent, which has offered to deploy trained volunteers to provide Psychological First Aid to the Italians still on board the Duke of York, among whom no injuries have been reported,” the ministry said. “However, due to adverse weather conditions, it is not yet clear whether they will be able to reach the vessel in distress, which has in the meantime moved in search of a safe harbour.”

The vessel is currently awaiting an improvement in weather conditions in order to return to Malé.

Anna Maria Bernini, Italy’s minister of university and research, said the tragedy that has struck the University of Genoa “deeply shakes the entire Italian academic community.”

“There are pains in the face of which words are not enough. In this moment, I extend my most sincere thoughts to the families, to colleagues, to students and to the entire Genoese University community, struck by a loss that leaves us dismayed,” Bernini wrote in a post on X.

Cave diving is a dangerous and highly technical form of diving that requires specialized equipment and training, and strict adherence to very specific safety protocols. Even entering underwater caves located in shallow depths can pose significant risks.

— with files from The Associated Press