5 tourists killed in cave diving accident; search underway for bodies

Five Italians have died in a scuba diving accident in the Maldives, Italy's foreign ministry said on Thursday, with security forces in the Indian Ocean archipelago recovering one body. The string of coral islands is a luxury holiday destination popular with divers, who often stay at remote resorts or on liveaboard dive boats. "Following an accident that occurred during a scuba diving trip, five Italian nationals have died in Vaavu Atoll, in the Maldives," Rome's foreign ministry said in a statement . "The divers are believed to have died while attempting to explore caves at a depth of 50 meters." The University of Genoa said the victims included a marine biology professor, her daughter and two young researchers. The school identified them as Monica Montefalcone, Giorgia Sommacal , Muriel Oddenino and Federico Gualtieri. They failed to return from a deep cave-diving trip in Vaavu Atoll, south of the capital, Male. Local officials said it was the worst single diving accident in the nation of 1,192 tiny coral islands scattered some 500 miles across the equator in the Indian Ocean. Aircraft and speedboats were deployed for a major search after the group of five was reported missing on Thursday afternoon, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) said in a statement. "One body has been found among five divers who went diving in Vaavu Atoll," the statement said. The force also released a map of the search area. "The body was found inside a cave. …