Police seek public assistance in fire incident investigation

Police have asked for public assistance in investigating the fire that broke out in four office buildings on Thursday.

The fire began at the Housing Ministry at approximately 6:30 am and quickly spread to Green Building, which housed the Ministry of Construction and Infrastructure and the Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy. Although the fire was brought under control after four hours, the buildings sustained significant damage.

At a press conference held at Dharubaaruge on Saturday, Commissioner of Police (CP) Ali Shujau said overseas assistance would be sought to investigate the incident. Police forensic teams are currently working in the area, collecting and analysing CCTV footage, he said.

CP Shujau added that efforts are ongoing to gather testimonies from eyewitnesses and others present at the scene. He urged anyone with information about the incident to come forward and share it with authorities via 9911099.

Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has accused the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) of negligence in the incident and has submitted the matter to parliament.