Govt suspends licence of liveaboard vessel after diving fatalities
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The Ministry of Tourism has suspended the operating licence of the safari vessel MV Duke of York following a diving incident in Vaavu Atoll in which four divers remain missing and one person was confirmed dead.
The incident occurred on Thursday during a dive involving five individuals.
According to authorities, only the body of the diving instructor has so far been recovered, while search and rescue operations continue for the remaining four divers.
The Tourism Ministry stated that the vessel’s licence had been suspended indefinitely pending further investigation into the incident.
The ministry also stated that maintaining safety standards and protecting the Maldives’ reputation as a tourism destination is a shared responsibility among tourism industry stakeholders.
Operators were urged to comply with regulations and safety requirements.
The Maldives Police Service initially reported that all five divers had been found dead but later clarified that the information had been issued in error.
Police later confirmed that only one body had been recovered.
According to the Maldives National Defence Force, the body was located by divers from a safari vessel assisting in the search operation.
The recovery took place at approximately 6:13 p.m. on Thursday.
“The body was located inside a cave at a depth of approximately 60 metres,” the MNDF said.
Authorities stated that the group, consisting of four tourists and their instructor, had reportedly descended to a depth of around 60 metres.
The standard limit for recreational diving in the Maldives is 30 metres.
