Maldives recover bodies of four Italian tourists after fatal diving accident

Rescue divers in the Maldives have recovered the bodies of four Italian tourists who died in a scuba-diving accident last week, Italy’s Foreign Ministry confirmed on May 18.

The search operation lasted several days and was briefly suspended after a Maldives military diver died during recovery efforts over the weekend, dpa reports. 

A plan is now being prepared to retrieve and bring the bodies to the surface, with the Maldives National Defence Force stating on X that further dives will continue in the coming days.

Five Italian nationals died in the incident on May 14. One body was recovered shortly after the accident, while efforts to locate the remaining victims were delayed due to challenging underwater conditions.

Authorities in the Indian Ocean archipelago are still investigating the cause of the accident. The Maldives, located southwest of Sri Lanka, is known for its coral reefs and popular diving sites.

According to Italy’s Foreign Ministry, the divers — including a marine biologist and a diving instructor — were exploring a cave system with multiple interconnected chambers at a depth of around 50 metres when the accident occurred.

Media reports indicate the group was only authorised to dive to about 30 metres, and that deeper dives require special permission in the Maldives, which the group reportedly did not obtain.

By Sabina Mammadli