This photo, provided by the Maldives President’s Media Division, depicts divers getting ready for the search operation for the four missing Italian divers close to Alimathaa Island, Vaavu Atoll, Maldives, May 15, 2026. Maldives President’s Media Division via AP
Two inquiries, which include an investigation into potential manslaughter, have been commenced concerning the deep-water cave excursion in the Maldives where five Italian scuba divers perished, according to authorities in both the Maldives and Rome.
Both the government of the Maldives and legal representatives in Rome declared these inquiries as the remains of two additional divers were retrieved from an underwater cave situated in the Indian Ocean.
Aside from the investigation being carried out by the Maldives government, prosecutors located in Rome have also initiated a manslaughter investigation concerning this tragic event, sources conveyed to ANSA, the Italian press agency.
This photo, provided by the Maldives President’s Media Division, depicts divers getting ready for the search operation for the four missing Italian divers close to Alimathaa Island, Vaavu Atoll, Maldives, May 15, 2026.Maldives President’s Media Division via AP
Mohamed Hussain Shareef, a representative for the office of the Maldives president, stated that the government’s investigation will particularly examine whether those in leadership during the ill-fated expedition "undertook the necessary safety measures" and performed the needed preparatory work.
"We anticipate that the recovery of the deceased will reveal substantial insight for the investigation itself," Shareef noted, as reported by The Associated Press. "However, this does not diminish the understanding that cave diving is an activity fraught with significant dangers.”
Shareef explained that the diving group — headed by Monica Montefalcone, a marine researcher and associate professor of ecology at the University of Genoa — received an authorized permit for their diving excursion.
Monica Montefalcone, one of the five Italian scuba divers who met their demise near Alimathaa in the Maldives archipelago during an underwater cave exploration.Greenpeace via AP
"Despite the permit they held, some deficiencies exist within the research proposal," Shareef explained.
He mentioned that the Maldives government lacked awareness regarding the group’s intention to explore an underwater cave.
"We were unaware of the precise area they were diving in," Shareef clarified.
He stated that two of the deceased divers were not included in the manifest of researchers provided by the expedition’s organizers.
Giorgia Sommacal, Federico Gualtieri and Muriel Oddenino.Facebook
"Therefore, we were not aware of their involvement in the expedition. These various aspects are currently under review," Shareef stated.
Shareef portrayed the scuba diving trip as one that was “extremely demanding” due to the considerable depth, the topographical conditions, the powerful currents, and the significant pull within the specified diving location.
"The visibility, once you enter the cave, would be almost nonexistent. At least that is the information we have received," Shareef said.
The divers were reported missing on Thursday as they explored a cave inside Vaavu Atoll, according to what the Maldives National Defense Force has stated.
On Saturday, a Maldives military diver died while participating in efforts to recover the deceased victims, according to the Maldives National Defense Force.
Aerial view of Fulidhoo island in the Vaavu atoll in the Maldives.Adobe Stock
Authorities labeled the recovery operation as “extremely risky and dangerous.” The search was briefly halted on Friday because of inclement weather conditions, as reported by the AP.
The Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, along with the University of Genoa, identified the deceased divers as Montefalcone; Giorgia Sommacal, her daughter and a biomedical engineering student at the University of Genoa; Muriel Oddenino, a research fellow at the University of Genoa; and Federico Gualtieri, a marine biologist and recent graduate in marine biology and ecology from the University of Genoa.
The institute likewise identified Gianluca Benedetti, a diving instructor, among the casualties.
According to the Maldives government, three bodies have been successfully retrieved. On Tuesday, a Finnish diving team was able to extract two bodies from the third chamber within the deep-water cave, according to Shareef.
Shareef mentioned that the identities of the two divers retrieved await confirmation through autopsies. However, Antonello Riccio, serving as the legal representative for Gualtieri’s family, has verified that the bodies of Montefalcone and Gualtieri were recovered on Tuesday.
Ahmed Shaam, another representative for the government of the Maldives, clarified that the bodies were discovered at a depth of roughly 200 feet. The established legal limit for recreational diving activities in the Maldives is near 100 feet, according to official sources.
The Maldives government indicated on Monday that a Finnish diving team had observed the presence of four bodies within the innermost section of the cave. Divers are scheduled to revisit the cave on Wednesday in order to retrieve the two remaining bodies.
"As previously suspected, the four bodies were located inside the cave, specifically within the third and most expansive segment of the cave," Shaam detailed.
He also commented that the four bodies were discovered positioned “very closely together.”
Earlier in the recovery efforts, Maldives government officials affirmed that the body of the diving instructor, who was part of the missing group, was found outside of the cave.
Othon Leyva, Phoebe Natanson and Clark Bentson from ABC News all contributed to this report.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com