Bodies of divers repatriated to Italy

The bodies of four Italian divers who died while diving in an underwater cave in Vaavu Atoll have been returned to Italy.

Five Italian divers went missing while diving in the cave on 14 May. The body of an Italian diving instructor, who was found outside the cave on the same day, had already been taken to Italy.

The operation to recover the bodies faced delays following the death of Maldivian diver Mohamed Mahudhee, who was part of the recovery team.

Three Finnish divers took part in the recovery mission and retrieved the bodies from the innermost chamber of the cave last week. The bodies were found buried about 200 feet below the surface.

The maximum depth permitted for diving in the Maldives is 98 feet, or 30 metres.

Government Spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef said two investigations had been launched into the incident. One investigation concerns the deaths of the five divers, while the second relates to the death of Mahudhee during the recovery operation.

Shareef said Italy had agreed to share the findings of the post-mortem examinations with the Maldivian government after the bodies were returned.

Among those who died were researchers from the University of Genoa. Shareef said they had received permission to conduct research on coral reefs in the Maldives. The proposal included deep diving activities, but did not mention underwater cave diving.

He added that the bodies of the four divers were found in the same location.

The chief executive of DAN Europe told AFP it was believed the divers entered a narrow section of the cave and were unable to find an exit.

He said the divers each carried one air cylinder and may have run out of air while attempting to find a way out of the cave.