Five Italians Die In Scuba Accident In Maldives

Malé, Maldives: Five Italians have died following an accident while scuba diving in the Maldives, Italy's foreign ministry said Thursday, with security forces on the Indian Ocean archipelago recovering one body.

The string of atoll islands is a luxury holiday destination with white sand beaches and secluded resorts, popular with divers who come to explore its pristine waters -- often based on far-flung islands or via live-aboard dive boards.

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"Following an accident that occurred during a scuba diving trip, five Italian nationals have died in the Vaavu Atoll, in the Maldives," Rome's foreign ministry said in a brief statement.

"The divers are believed to have died whilst attempting to explore some caves at a depth of 50 metres."

They failed to return from a deep cave diving trip on the Vaavu Atoll, south of the capital, Male.

Aircraft and speedboats were deployed for a major search after the group of five was reported missing on Thursday afternoon, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) said in a statement.

"One body has been found among five divers who went diving in Vaavu Atoll," the statement said.

"The body was found inside a cave... It is believed that the remaining four divers are also inside the same cave, which extends to a depth of about 60 metres (200 feet)."

The MNDF said a coastguard vessel was in the area coordinating the search operation throughout the night. Additional coastguard divers were being sent to assist in the search.

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