A massive fire has broken out in the waste disposal area of Raa atoll, Alifushi.
According to Ibrahim Zaheen, the Vice President of the island’s council, the fire ignited from the fibreglass waste material that was collected and set aside in the island’s garbage disposal area. Most speedboats in the Maldives are built from fibreglass.
The fire has now spread to the rest of the dump yard, causing damage to a building on site.
The fire’s origin is still unknown.
Zaheen noted that fibreglass dust and the waste accumulated in the boatyard are highly flammable.
Since there is no fire station in Alifushi, the institutes operating on the island, local residents, and a team trained in firefighting are working together to control the fire.
Alifushi is well known for boat building and repair, and there is a designated boatyard on the island. The Alifushi Island Council had previously brought up the issue of safely disposing of the hazardous material generated by the boatyard. They raised the issue once more last Thursday when President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih visited the island and met with the council.