At least nine Indians are feared to be killed and several others injured in a fire accident in Maldive’s capital city Male on Thursday.
According to fire officials, 10 bodies have been recovered so far of which nine are Indians. The tenth one is a Bangladeshi. The fire started on the ground floor of a vehicle repair garbage and slowly moved upwards engulfing the whole building.
“We have found 10 bodies,” a fire service official said, adding that it took them about four hours to put out the fire.
Expressing condolences, the Maldives president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said that a proper investigation will be followed. “The dangerous fire incident in the city yesterday is a very sad incident. Many people have lost their lives and a large number have been injured. The incident is currently being investigated. Condolences to the families of the deceased,” he tweeted.
The Indian High Commission in Maldives expressed grief over the incident.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic fire incident in Malé which has caused loss of lives, including reportedly of Indian nationals. We are in close contact with the Maldivian authorities,” the High Commission of India in Maldives said in a tweet.
Many foreign workers hail from India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan.
