Bodies of two Italians killed in scuba diving accident recovered, Maldives government says

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MALE - The bodies of two Italian divers killed in a scuba diving accident in the Maldives have been recovered, a Maldives government spokesperson said on Tuesday, as efforts continue to retrieve the remains of two others.

The divers were part of a group of five who entered a deepwater cave last week. The remains of one among them – their instructor – was recovered on Friday.

The bodies were brought up to 30 metres by a specialist team of Finnish divers – who joined the efforts this week – after which Maldivian divers and the police assisted in bringing them to the surface, spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef told Reuters.

"Identities have not been confirmed yet, but we know that it's a male and female body that has been recovered," he said.

The group that entered the cave was led by Monica Montefalcone, 51, a University of Genoa professor and marine ecologist who was a regular diver in Maldivian waters in the Indian Ocean, and also included her daughter.

Maldivian authorities are probing multiple possible factors behind the accident – the deadliest single incident in the country's diving history – including whether the divers descended far deeper than expected.

The two remaining bodies will be recovered on Wednesday, according to the government's plan.

(Reporting by Mohamed Junayd and Krishna Das, writing by Sakshi Dayal; Editing by YP Rajesh)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 12:17 PM.