Authorities in the Maldives have announced the recovery of two bodies belonging to Italian divers who drowned in a tragic scuba diving incident last week. The recovery operation, involving specialist Finnish divers, took place in a deep underwater cave known locally as 'shark cave'.
According to Mohamed Hossain Shareef, a spokesperson for the Maldivian government, the bodies were retrieved from the cave's third chamber after a two-hour operation. They are being transported to the capital, Male, for identification.
The divers were part of a larger group exploring the underwater cave when the incident occurred, leading to the deaths of five individuals in total. The first body recovered belonged to Gianluca Benedetti, a boat operations manager and diving instructor.
The attempt to recover the remaining bodies, still trapped within the cave, faced significant challenges due to the site's depth and limited visibility. The operation will continue in hopes of uncovering additional clues regarding the cause of the unfortunate accident.
It has since been revealed that the dive team had permission to explore depths of up to 50 meters but did not disclose the specifics of their cave dive in their application. Local officials are investigating the dive's authorization, indicating that safety measures might not have been adequately followed.
The divers included members affiliated with the University of Genoa, which has publicly distanced itself from the expedition, stating that it did not authorize the deep-sea dive for research purposes. Questions surrounding oversight and safety procedures are being raised amidst the tragedy, with many seeking accountability.
