Maldives Police Service (MPS) has begun investigating the death of a diver near the uninhabited Kureddhoo island in Gaafu Alif atoll on Thursday.

The 50-year-old Chinese tourist had been diving off a safari boat on Thursday morning when his condition is said to have suddenly deteriorated, upon which he had been brought to atoll hospital in Villingili island.

The man died while receiving treatment, little after 12pm.

While this is the ninth tourist death recorded so far this year, two more foreigners died in incidients this week. They had both drowned off Maafushi island and Kuramathi resort respectively.

The Ministry of Tourism had earlier, upon the alarming hike in tourist deaths across the nation, conducted an investigation to see if there were any negligent actions that could have led up to the untimely deaths of many. Upon investigating tourist accommodation sites and hotels, the ministry found that there was no negligence on any part.

The incidents, purely nature-related, have been escalating since the end of last year.