Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development Dr Abdulla Muththalib stated last night that last night's incident where two boats went adrift near Male' was 'a near miss' and that it could have caused immense damage to key infrastructure including the Sinamale' Bridge.
In a social media post today, Muththalib said that engineers from Second Harbour Engineering Company (SHEC) had carried out inspections following the incident and confirmed that no structural damage had been caused to the Sinamale' Bridge.
There were, however, some surface scratches, which will be repaired by SHEC using standard methodology through Chinese grant aid, he said.
"A vessel out of control near Male' can affect two bridges, Velana International Airport and other critical infrastructure, a disaster that could affect the life of the whole capital," the minister said, emphasizing that the government has been proactive in building capacity to respond to such incidents.
Muththalib announced that Maldives Ports Limited is now in the process of acquiring two new powerful tugs capable of taking hold of a drifting vessel before it reaches the bridges. The tugs are expected to be delivered within the next two months.
The government will also be reviewing port anchorage arrangements and will develop emergency communication and response procedures with the Coast Guard and other relevant authorities, he said.
The boat AL1, which has not been officially designated an IMO number, and MT KG1, registered in Togo, entered Maldivian waters on April 26, Mihaaru News reports.
The two boats claimed to have been sailing from Shinas, Oman to Kandla, India. The boats had not informed any relevant authorities but moored near Male' for about a week. They came to the attention of Maldivian authorities on May 3.
The two boats had been moored between Male' and Dhoonidhoo when adverse weather conditions caused the shared anchor rode to be damaged, sending the boats adrift at around 10pm. One of the boats first ran aground the Male' reef near the Carnival area. Tides pushed the boat away, and it drifted and hit the Sinamale' Bridge, before moving under the bridge towards south Male'.
