Italian prosecutors have opened a manslaughter investigation into the deadly cave diving tragedy in the Maldives that claimed the lives of five Italian nationals, according to reports from Italy.
The investigation is being led by the Rome Prosecutor’s Office at Piazzale Clodio and will focus on the circumstances surrounding the fatal dive expedition in the Vaavu Atoll cave system.
Reports said prosecutors are expected to order autopsies on the victims once the bodies are repatriated to Italy as part of efforts to determine the exact causes of death and reconstruct the sequence of events during the dive.
Investigators are also expected to question Italian nationals who were aboard the safari vessel “Duke of York,” which was supporting the diving expedition in the Maldives.
The tragedy has triggered investigations in both the Maldives and Italy following one of the most complex and high-profile cave diving incidents recorded in the country. Recovery operations in the Vaavu cave system have involved specialist international cave divers working alongside Maldivian authorities under dangerous underwater conditions.
Maldives Police are separately examining GoPro cameras and diving equipment recovered from inside the cave system, which investigators believe could provide key evidence regarding the divers’ final movements, visibility conditions, and any technical difficulties encountered during the expedition.
