Tragedy in the Maldives where five Italian tourists who had gone missing during a scuba dive were found dead .
According to initial reports, local media reports, the five tourists were aboard the "Duke of York," a foreign-operated liveaboard diving vessel, and disappeared during a dive near Alimathaa. They dived in the morning, and the crew reported them missing when they had not surfaced by midday.
Although police confirmed they had launched an investigation into the death . The search began in adverse weather conditions in the dive area, so much so that the meteorological service issued a yellow alert for the area, which is still in effect.
"Following a scuba diving accident, five Italians died in the Vaavu Atoll , in the Maldives," the Farnesina confirmed in a statement. "The divers—it explains— died while attempting to explore caves at a depth of 50 meters . The Maldivian authorities are still reconstructing the accident."
The statement concludes: "The Farnesina and the Italian Embassy in Colombo have been following the case closely since it was first reported. The office is contacting the victims' families to provide any necessary consular assistance."
Among the victims was a professor at the University of Genoa, Monica Montefalcone , a well-known TV personality, researcher, and marine expert. She was known for her great love of the sea and for leading several important marine projects.
(Unioneonline)
