The Housing Ministry building that was destroyed by fire had existing electrical problems and was prone to fire, police said.
The 19 year old building on Ameenee Magu, which featured wooden decking, housed the ministry’s work on enforcing building codes and construction safety.
However, a police investigation found that the building itself did not comply with the relevant safety requirements.
“Two of the cables analyzed showed signs of short circuits,” Superintendent of Police Abdulla Rasheed said.
Rasheed was speaking at a press conference on Thursday on the findings of the police investigation into the major fire that broke out at the building in December 2024.
He said the investigation found electrical problems in the Geometrics Department, in the building where the fire initially started.
Rasheed said the building’s structure made it difficult to locate the fire, allowing it to spread while firefighters searched for its source.
Forensic examination of electrical wires recovered from the building found several problems, including:
- Arcing caused by overheating;
- Wires fused together due to overheating; and
- Electrical wires that had melted and formed swollen areas or blisters due to heat.
“Two of the cables analyzed showed signs of short circuits,” Rasheed said.
Indian experts who travelled to the Maldives to investigate the fire also concluded that it was caused by a short circuit in the building housing the Housing Ministry, Construction Ministry and Environment Ministry.
Quoting the Indian experts’ report, Rasheed said burning electrical cables were located inside ducts running through the ceiling at difficult to access points, allowing the fire to spread before it could be detected and extinguished.
Although there had been allegations that the building was deliberately set on fire, police said foreign experts found no flammable chemicals at the site.
The Housing Ministry had moved into the building after its previous office became old and dilapidated. However, ministry employees had not been provided with a permanent office for more than 15 years, police said.
Following the fire, the Housing Ministry and Construction Ministry were merged and are now operating from Dharubaaruge.
