Five tourists die in Maldives during 160ft dive – including mum and daughter
Five Italian nationals have died while scuba diving in the Maldives’ Vaavu Atoll, Italy’s foreign ministry said on Thursday
View 4 Images
University professor Monica Montefalcone has been named as one of the victims(Image: artefici della trasformazione digitale/YouTube)
Five Italian nationals have died while scuba diving in the Maldives, sparking an investigation by local police.
The victims have been named by Italian media as university professor Monica Montefalcone and her 20-year-old daughter Giorgia Sommacal. Muriel Oddenino from Turin was also killed in the tragedy along with Gianluca Benedetti from Padua, and Federico Gualtieri from Borgomanero, according to local reports.
The incident occurred in Vaavu Atoll, where the group had been attempting to explore underwater caves at a depth of around 165ft, Italy’s foreign ministry said on Thursday. It did not give any details about the exact cause of the incident.
View 4 Images
Giorgia Sommacal(Image: Instagram/Giorgia Sommacal)
Rescue crews raced to the area at around 1.45pm local time after the group vanished.
According to Maldivian outlet The Edition, the group were tourists and had been aboard the Duke of York liveaboard diving vessel.
The outlet reports that the group went missing during a dive near Alimathaa. They had entered the water in the morning and were reported missing by crew after failing to resurface.
View 4 Images
Muriel Oddenino(Image: Facebook/Muriel Oddenino)
Local police have launched a probe into the incident, with the causes of death yet to be confirmed.
A yellow weather warning had been issued in Vaavu Atoll earlier in the day and still remains in place as strong winds lashed the islands at up to 30mph.
View 4 Images
Gianluca Benedetti(Image: Il Mattino)
Article continues below
Weather conditions at the dive site were reportedly poor at the time of the incident.
The ministry said an investigation had been launched by Maldivian authorities. It added that the Italian Embassy in Sri Lanka is in contact with the victims’ families to provide consular assistance.
News
DELETED MESSAGE CREATES A MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH 🚨 Forensic analysts have recovered a deleted message from William Lunnon, sent less than 11 minutes before the tragedy. The message’s contents have not been released, but sources say it immediately changed the direction of the investigation
The trajectory of the Bobby Bloomfield homicide investigation has shifted dramatically following a critical breakthrough by digital forensic experts within…
SURVEILLANCE CAMERA FOOTAGE CHANGES EVERYTHING 🚨 Detectives reviewing newly recovered security camera footage of Bobby Bloomfield have discovered a figure returning to the same location three times within 42 minutes. But investigators are still trying to determine why this individual disappeared from view just before the incident occurred
The investigation into the tragic death of 12-year-old Bobby Bloomfield has entered a highly critical and volatile phase. A single…
🚨 THE CCTV FOOTAGE JUST BLEW A HOLE IN THE TIMELINE
The latest development in the investigation into the tragic death of 12-year-old Bobby Bloomfield has sent shockwaves through the major…
THE COURTROOM FELL SILENT AS PROSECUTORS DESCRIBED WHAT ALLEGEDLY HAPPENED NEXT
The atmosphere inside Chelmsford Magistrates Court was heavy with an overwhelming sense of disbelief as the formal prosecution began to…
🚨 DOCTORS SAW SOMETHING THEY WEREN’T EXPECTING For weeks, Xavier Taylor’s family prepared themselves for difficult updates
🚨 DOCTORS SAW SOMETHING THEY WEREN’T EXPECTING For weeks, Xavier Taylor’s family prepared themselves for difficult updates. Instead, a routine…
🚨 “WE WEREN’T PREPARED FOR THIS…” As the fallout from the Karmelo Anthony trial continues, his parents are now speaking publicly about what happened behind the scenes
🚨 “WE WEREN’T PREPARED FOR THIS…” As the fallout from the Karmelo Anthony trial continues, his parents are now speaking…
End of content
No more pages to load
