Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) stated Sunday that 10 people who were injured after a fire broke out in a warehouse building in reclaimed suburb Hulhumale are still admitted in the hospital, out of which one is in serious condition with 40 percent burns.
The incident occurred in a three-storey building in Hulhumale’s industrial zone in the early hours of Sunday. The fire broke out in the second and third floor of the building, which were being used as accommodation blocks for Amin Construction’s expatriate employees who work on the project to develop 300 flats in Hulhumale. The ground floor is a warehouse and did not sustain much damage in the fire, which was put out by Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) and Velana International Airport (VIA)’s fire fighters in around an hour.
According to IGMH’s spokesperson, 12 expatriate workers were brought to IGMH following the fire, two of whom have been discharged.
“Most of the people brought to the hospital were not burnt,” said the official, explaining that most injuries were broken arms and legs, and spinal fractures sustained from jumping off the burning building.
However, one of the patients is still in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with burns on 40 percent of his body. According to the official, the man suffered various injuries in addition to burns on his face, arms, legs and other places. He also suffered damage to his respiratory system.
The second and third floor of the building have been heavily damaged in the fire while the warehouse in the ground floor is relatively unspoilt. Police are currently investigating the cause of the fire.
Aasandha Company, the operator of Hulhumale Hospital, said that 29 Indians and two Maldivians were admitted to Hulhumale Hospital with burns, smoke inhalation, or injuries sustained from jumping. While some of the victims have been transferred to IGMH in capital Male, the rest were treated in Hulhumale Hospital and most have been discharged since.
Speaking to Mihaaru, some victims said that they chose to jump off the upper floors as there was no other way of escape.
“If we didn’t jump, it was likely that more people’s lives would’ve been in danger; the fire had spread that much. Most jumped because there was no other way.”
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