Four Italian divers die in Maldives

Five Italian nationals died during a cave-diving expedition in the Maldives this week, and a Maldivian military diver later died during the effort to recover four of their bodies. The accident happened on May 14 near Alimathaa Island in Vaavu Atoll, where the group was exploring underwater caves at about 50 meters, according to Italy’s foreign ministry. One body was recovered on the day of the accident, while the other four were believed to be inside a cave about 60 meters deep, according to officials and media reports. On May 16, Maldivian authorities suspended the recovery mission after Staff Sergeant Mohamed Mahdhee of the Maldives National Defence Force died during the operation. ### Who were the Italian victims? The University of Genoa said four of the five dead were linked to the university. They were Monica Montefalcone, an associate professor of ecology; her daughter, Giorgia Sommacal, a biomedical engineering student; Muriel Oddenino, a research fellow; and Federico Gualtieri, a recent graduate in marine biology and ecology. The fifth victim was identified in media reports as Gianluca Benedetti, a dive operator and boat captain. (abc.net.au) Monica Montefalcone was 51, and Giorgia Sommacal was 23, according to Mongabay and other reports published after the accident. The university said it was expressing “deep sorrow” over the deaths of the four people connected to the institution. ### Where did the dive go wrong? Vaavu Atoll was the site of the dive, about 64 kilometers from Malé, according to ABC’s reporting citing Italian officials. (abc.net.au) Italy’s foreign ministry said the group had been exploring a series of underwater caves at a depth of about 50 meters on May 14. Maldivian officials said the bodies were believed to be in a cave around 60 meters deep. (news.mongabay.com) Chief government spokesman Mohamed Hussain Shareef said investigators were examining why the group went below the Maldives’ officially permitted recreational diving depth of 30 meters. That account was also carried by AFP-based reports and by AP dispatches after the search operation began. ### What happened during the recovery mission? May 16 became a second day of tragedy when Staff Sergeant Mohamed Mahdhee fell ill during the search mission and later died, according to the Maldives National Defence Force as reported by AP and other outlets. (abc.net.au) The search had been described as difficult because the missing divers were believed to be inside an underwater cave. (straitstimes.com) The Maldives then suspended the operation to recover the remaining four bodies. AP reported that authorities halted the mission after Mahdhee’s death, while earlier reports had also cited hazardous conditions and the complexity of cave recovery at depth. ### What action have Maldivian authorities taken? The Maldives government suspended the operating licence of the liveaboard vessel MV Duke of York indefinitely on May 16, pending the outcome of an investigation into the diving incident, according to a ministry statement carried by AFP-based reports. (msn.com) The 36-meter vessel can accommodate 25 guests, the same reports said. (apnews.com) President Mohamed Muizzu’s office said on May 15 that he had assessed the search-and-rescue operation and separately extended condolences to Italy over the Vaavu Atoll incident. The presidency website also published notices referring to the diving tragedy involving Italian nationals. ### What happens next? Italian officials said an investigation was under way, and the Italian Embassy in Sri Lanka was working to contact families and provide consular assistance. (straitstimes.com) Maldivian authorities have not announced a new date for resuming the body-recovery mission in the material reviewed, but the vessel suspension remains in place pending the inquiry’s findings. (abc.net.au) (presidency.gov.mv)