Ten people were killed while several others seriously injured early on Thursday, November 10, when a fire broke out in a building in Male, the capital of Maldives. The fire broke out in the garage of the cramped building which mostly houses foreign workers, reports stated. Among the 10 who lost their lives, about nine of them were Indians. In a tweet, the Indian High Commission said, "We are deeply saddened by the tragic fire incident in Mal which has caused loss of lives, including reportedly of Indian nationals. We are in close contact with the Maldivian authorities".
The fire broke out in the M Nirufehi area near the Maaveyo Mosque around 12.30 am, according to news portal SunOnline international. The garage is located on the ground floor, while the first-floor houses migrant workers. The quarters only had a single window for ventilation, the report said.
The Maldives National Defence Force Fire and Rescue Service said that 28 people were evacuated out of the building, while nine people were reported missing. Seven of them were found dead, while two were taken to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital with severe burns, the report said. Firefighters later recovered two more bodies from the building. The fire was doused at 4.34 am, the report added.
Foreign workers constitute about half of Male's 250,000-strong population, who are mostly from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. According to Agence France-Presse, Male is one of the most densely populated city in the world.