Five Italians have died in a scuba diving accident in the Maldives, the foreign ministry in Rome has said.
The divers are believed to have died while attempting to explore caves at a depth of 50 metres (164ft) in Vaavu Atoll.
Four of the divers were part of a University of Genoa team, including professor of ecology Monica Montefalcone, her daughter, and two researchers.
The Maldives' military reported that one body had been found in a cave about 60m underwater, with the other four divers presumed to be in the same location.
Special equipment divers have been dispatched, though search efforts have been described as very high risk.
Italy's foreign ministry confirmed that officials are collaborating with Maldivian authorities for recovery. Twenty other Italian nationals on the yacht Duke of York, from which the divers launched, are safe and being assisted by the Italian Embassy.
This tragedy is potentially the worst single diving accident in the popular tourist destination, known for its coral islands.
The five divers entered the water Thursday morning but were reported missing when they failed to surface. Weather conditions were rough in the area, prompting a warning for boats and fishermen.
The University of Genoa later identified the victims as Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal—a student, research fellow Muriel Oddenino, and marine biology graduate Federico Gualtieri. The fifth victim was identified as diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti.
Monica Montefalcone's husband described her as an experienced and meticulous diver, suggesting that potential issues with equipment might have occurred, specifically with oxygen tanks.
Dive master Maurizio Uras mentioned that oxygen toxicity could have played a role, reiterating the unique challenges posed by the Indian Ocean's currents compared to the calmer Mediterranean waters.
Diving accidents are relatively rare in the Maldives, but several fatalities have been reported in recent years.
Authorities continue to investigate the incident, with plans for more dives to search the underwater cave system where the accident occurred.
