First images emerge of deadly Maldives cave showing the drastically reduced visibility that trapped five Italian divers
The first images of the underwater cave where five Italian divers died have been released. The photos show drastically reduced visibility deeper inside the cave, where the divers are believed to have become disoriented. An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy is underway, focusing on the divers' descent below the legal recreational diving limit without proper training or equipment.
- ▪Four of the five bodies of the Italian divers have been repatriated to Milan for investigation.
- ▪The divers vanished during a deep-water dive 164 feet underwater in Vaavu Atoll, marking the worst diving accident in Maldives history.
- ▪The prosecutor's office in Rome has opened a culpable homicide investigation into the incident.
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World News First images emerge of deadly Maldives cave showing the drastically reduced visibility that trapped five Italian divers By Gabrielle Fahmy Published May 23, 2026, 4:13 p.m. ET See more of our coverage in your search results. Add The New York Post on Google The first pictures of the underwater cave where five Italian divers died have been made public as four of their bodies were repatriated to Milan Saturday for Italian prosecutors to advance their manslaughter investigation. The photos were taken by one of the elite Finnish divers called in to recover the remaining victims, after the Maldives National Defense Forces’ search killed one of their own rescuers. 4 The first set of images, near the mouth of the cave, shows the sunlight still lighting the way.
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