Seven Indians Among Ten Killed in Maldives Garage Fire: Indian High Commission

GG News Bureau

Male, 11th Nov. The Indian High Commission in Maldives said on Friday that seven Indian nationals were among ten people killed in a major fire that broke out in a garage beneath the cramped living quarters housing foreign workers here in the Maldivian capital.

Around 12:30 a.m. local time on Thursday, a fire broke out in a car repair garage in M. Nirufehi, near the Maaveyo Mosque.

According to the Indian High Commission in the Maldives (HCIM), local authorities informed them that seven of the deceased were Indian nationals.

“Fire incident in Male: Maldivian authorities have confirmed that 7 of the deceased were Indian nationals. The identity of one person is still being confirmed. The High Commission is in contact with the families,” it said in a tweet.

The Maldivian media reported on Thursday, citing the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), that nine Indians were among the ten people killed in the fire.

“HC @AmbMunu, along with Mission officials, met the evacuated Indian nationals. They were assured of all possible assistance. We thank Maldivian authorities, NGOs and community members who have been providing necessary support to the evacuees,” HCIM said in another tweet.

According to the most recent information, the deceased in the fire include both male and female Indian and Bangladeshi nationals, according to the Sunonline.

The fire started in the garage on the ground floor, while the first floor houses cramped living quarters for migrant workers, with only a single window for ventilation, according to the report.

According to authorities, cooking gas cylinders were located next to each bed where the migrants slept. Migrant workers from Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka were housed in the quarters.

A total of 10 people died, while one, identified as a Bangladeshi national, is in critical condition, the report said.

As per the authorities, the migrant quarters housed at least 38 people, and there were cooking gas cylinders placed next to each bed. As many as 28 were rescued, of which nine remain under NDMA’s care; six women and three men, it said.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted on Thursday, “Deeply grieved by the tragic loss of lives in a fire incident in Male today. Full details regarding Indians being ascertained by the High Commission who are contacting affected families.”

On Thursday, Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid spoke with his Indian counterpart Jaishankar and expressed condolences to the Maldives’ government and people following the deaths of several Indians in a major fire in Male.

During the phone call, Shahid informed Jaishankar that a full investigation into the incident that killed at least ten people had been ordered.

According to the Maldivian foreign minister, he also spoke with his Bangladeshi counterpart.

“Spoke to EAM of India @DrSJaishankar & FM of Bangladesh Dr A.K.Abdul Momen and conveyed condolences of the Government & people of Maldives, to the families of the deceased in the fire incident in Male last night. Informed that a full investigation is under-way,” Shahid tweeted.

Separately, Arindam Bagchi, a spokesperson for the External Affairs Ministry, described the incident as “tragic.”

He stated that the Indian High Commission in Male is providing all assistance possible to the affected Indians and their families.

“Our high commission there has clarified that local authorities have indicated that at least 10 bodies have been found. Local authorities are engaged in identifying the bodies,” Bagchi said.

He was replying to a question on the incident during his weekly media briefing. “Our high commission is in close contact with the Maldivian authorities at various levels. Our high commission is extending all possible assistance to the affected Indians and their families. They have also opened a helpline,” Bagchi said.

“It is a very unfortunate development. Till such time we are able to identify the bodies as Indian citizens, I would not like to comment or confirm how many have passed away,” he said.

Hisan Hassan, the chief of the Maldives National Disaster Authority (MNDA), said on Thursday that 28 people had been rescued from the building.

He stated that 19 of them had been taken away by their employers, while nine people – six women and three men – remain in the care of the MNDA.

The fire was extinguished at 04:34 a.m. local time, said Colonel Ibrahim Rasheed, Commandant of the MNDF Fire and Rescue Service.

The dead bodies recovered from the scene, according to Ibrahim, were severely burned, making it difficult to identify them or even determine their gender.

Foreign workers constitute about half of Male’s 250,000-strong population, who are mostly from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.