Garage blaze: 10 confirmed deaths

Authorities have confirmed 10 have died in the fire incident in Male' city on Thursday, November 10.

Local law enforcement authority in their first message to media confirmed of five deaths. One of the victims passed away after they were transferred to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) for medical attention, while another was in critical condition.

Police further confirmed rescuing 14 individuals from the building.

Meanwhile, bodies of four of the deceased victims have been transported to Galolhu Mortuary.

Witness reported a fire had broken out of a local garage on Thursday early morning. The garage is situated at the corner of Iskandar Magu and Koarukendi Hingun - which falls to Maafannu district.

Maldives Police reported receiving report of the fire around 12:30 a.m., Thursday.

The fire had spread around the vicinity, while the area was covered in thick plumes of smoke. The Fire and Rescue team of Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) was dispatched to the area to control the flame.

Moreover, witnesses continued reporting of the fire spreading across the area despite attempts were made to control it. A few reporters of "Mihaaru News" present at the site confirmed that the fire had spread to multiple floors of the building that housed the garage.

Residents living in the building had been vacated around 01:50 a.m.

By 02:00 a.m, authorities were successful in controlling the blaze. MNDF proceeded to search for any casualties, and had discovered nine dead bodies from the vicinity.

Authorities confirmed the garage was housed at Maafannu Senrose Hulhangu. The building was a three-storey structure erected on wooden decks on each of the floors. The building houses expatriates according to neighbors. The neighboring house sustained significant damages to its structure, including damages to its windows, during Thursday morning's fire.

The garage was a site of a previous fire incident as well, reported authorities.

Some witnesses reported smell of smoke around 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday evening. Around midnight many had been woken up to the fire erupting at the garage.

Onlookers claimed four individuals made it out of the building following the blaze.

"Around fifteen residents lived in the building. Saw four of them running out from the fire," one witness confirmed.