Maldives Five Italian divers lose their lives
The sea around the islands and atolls of the Maldives is a dream destination for divers. Five Italians wanted to explore underwater caves at great depths. Their dive ends in tragedy.
15.05.2026, 06:02
15.05.2026, 07:23
dpa
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- According to information from Rome, five Italians have died in a diving accident in the Maldives.
- Initially, there were no details about the course of the accident.
- Italian media reported that four employees or students of the University of Genoa were among the divers who died.
Five Italians have died in a diving accident in the Maldives, according to reports from Rome. The divers were exploring caves at a depth of around 50 meters in the Vaavua Atoll, according to the Italian Foreign Ministry.
Initially, there were no details about the course of the accident. The authorities in the Maldives have launched an investigation, it said. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Italian Embassy in Sri Lanka are in contact with the families of the victims in order to support them.
The Maldives is an island nation in the Indian Ocean southwest of Sri Lanka. The islands of the archipelago attract many tourists with their idyllic white sandy beaches. The Maldives and its coral reefs are also a popular destination for snorkelers and divers.
Italian media reported that four employees or students from the University of Genoa were among the divers who died in the accident. The university said it was mourning the loss of an ecology professor, her daughter, who was studying at the university, as well as a lecturer and a student who had recently graduated in biology and marine biology.
The Italian Science Minister Anna Maria Bernini declared on Platform X that the tragedy "shocks the entire Italian scientific community".
The identity of the fifth victim was not initially released by Italy.
