Five Italians die in Maldives diving incident

Five Italian nationals have died following ​a scuba diving accident ‌in the Maldives, Italy's foreign ministry said on Thursday.

The ​incident occurred in ​the Vaavu Atoll, where the ⁠group had been ​attempting to explore a series ​of underwater caves at a depth of around 50 metres (165 ​ft), the foreign ​ministry statement said.

It did not give ‌any ⁠details about the identities of the victims or the exact cause of ​the ​accident.

The ⁠foreign ministry said an investigation was underway, ​adding that the ​Italian ⁠Embassy in Sri Lanka was working to contact ⁠the ​victims' families and ​provide consular assistance.