Italian Tourist Found Dead on Beach in Morocco

A 30-year-old Italian tourist, Eva Valerio, was found dead on the beach in Dakhla, Morocco. The woman, originally from Thiene in the Vicenza province, was vacationing in the southern Moroccan surf resort town in a camper van with a Moroccan friend. It was the friend who raised the alarm when the woman failed to return to the camper van two nights earlier. Local sources report that the investigation has not ruled out any possibility, although for now, the cause of the accident is being pursued. The most likely cause, according to Italian sources, is drowning. The search began immediately and continued until this afternoon. The Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie found the woman's body on Boutahla beach, 31 kilometers from the Dakhla lagoon. The woman's friend, who assisted with the search, is being questioned while the Dakhla regional prosecutor has ordered an autopsy, which will be performed at the Agadir hospital. The Farnesina, in close coordination with the Italian Embassy in Rabat and the Consulate General in Casablanca, is following the matter closely. Our diplomatic and consular representatives, they emphasize to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are maintaining close contact with local authorities, who are conducting the necessary investigations, and with the victim's family, to whom they are providing every possible assistance. Giovanni Casarotto, mayor of Thiene, the victim's native town, reported the possibility of drowning, although he also noted that he had learned that Moroccan authorities were conducting further investigations. The woman lived in Montecchio Precalcino, a municipality bordering Thiene. At the Farnesina's request, the Carabinieri arrived there that afternoon to inform the family of the tragedy.