Bodies of two Italians killed in scuba diving accident recovered, says Maldives government
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Divers conducting search and recovery operations for the bodies of four Italian divers in the waters of Vaavu Atoll, Maldives, on May 19.
PHOTO: EPA
MALE - The bodies of two Italian divers killed in a scuba diving accident in the Maldives have been recovered, a Maldives government spokesperson said on May 19, as efforts continue to retrieve the remains of two others.
The divers were part of a group of five who entered a deepwater cave last week. The remains of one among them – their instructor – was recovered on May 15.
The bodies were brought up to 30m by a specialist team of Finnish divers – who joined the efforts this week – after which Maldivian divers and the police assisted in bringing them to the surface, spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef told Reuters.
“Identities have not been confirmed yet, but we know that it’s a male and female body that have been recovered,” he said.
The group that entered the cave was led by Associate Professor Monica Montefalcone, 51, a University of Genoa marine ecologist who was a regular diver in Maldivian waters in the Indian Ocean, and also included her daughter.
Maldivian authorities are probing multiple possible factors behind the accident – the deadliest single incident in the country’s diving history – including whether the divers descended far deeper than expected.
The two remaining bodies will be recovered on May 20, according to the government’s plan. REUTERS
