8 Indians among 11 killed as fire guts building in Maldives

Male: Eight Indians were among the 11 people who died as a building caught fire in M. Nirufehige in Maldives, early Thursday, AVAS reported.

Police received reports regarding the incident at 12:17 am (local time) while Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) was informed regarding the incident at around 12:30 am. Fire and Rescue teams reached the spot by 12:33 am and battled the blaze for four hours before it was completely contained by 4:34 am.

Sources revealed that some of the deceased people were trapped in their rooms and bathrooms, the report said.

The cause of the fire is still not known. According to authorities, 11 people died in the fire incident. Eight of the deceased were Indian nationals while one person was from Bangladesh. The nationalities of two other victims remain unknown so far.

IGMH Media Coordinator Hawwa Afeef told AVAS that one of two people who were taken to the hospital for treatment had died. The second man is in critical condition and is being given medical treatment. The hospital did not reveal further details regarding the two men who were admitted for treatment.

The hospital confirmed that 10 bodies were found in the building. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is assisting the victims and the people who have been evacuated from nearby buildings. The NDMA has created a temporary centre at Maafannu Stadium to assist the victims of the fire.

Ibrahim Rasheed, Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF)’s Fire and Rescue Service Commander, said that the incident happened in a building where a large number of Indian, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi migrant workers lived, as per the report.

MNDF confirmed that the bodies of 10 of the 11 deceased were recovered from the building. Ibrahim Rasheed further stated that it is difficult to identify the gender of the deceased.