Deputy Mayor Ahmed Nareesh, who was present at the scene, stated that the building contained documents and house registrations for everyone born in Male' since 1960.
There are concerns over the destruction of important documents related to Male' citizens in the fire that occurred in the buildings housing the Ministry of Housing, Land and Urban Development, and the Vital Registrations Office of the Male' City Council.
The fire affected the Vital Registrations Office, the Housing Ministry, the Ministry of Construction and Infrastructure, and the Environment Ministry.
The Vital Registrations Office manages birth and death registrations, population data, and records of residence and land ownership.
Deputy Mayor Ahmed Nareesh, who was present at the scene, stated that the building contained documents and house registrations for everyone born in Male' since 1960.
"While a birth certificate can be recovered even if lost in a fire, there is no way to retrieve the registry of a house or land if it is destroyed," he said.
"If any document is damaged, it is irrecoverable. These are irreplaceable records, and they cannot be found anywhere else. Proof of ownership or inheritance documents will not be available elsewhere," Nareesh added.
Nareesh said that following the fire, many documents were removed from the building with the help of the MNDF and police. The process of removing additional items is still ongoing.
The full extent of the damage caused to the office by the fire has yet to be determined, he said.
The fire broke out at Maafannu Green Building, which houses the Housing Ministry, Environment Ministry, Construction and Infrastructure Ministry, and a Male' City Council office.
The fire spread throughout the building, causing severe damage. It was brought under control four hours after it began.
Sign In