While MNDF managed to bring the fire under control four hours after it began, they are still working to completely extinguish the flames. Thick smoke continues to billow from the building, affecting a large area.
Defence Minister Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon said that the first priority after the fire broke out in the building housing the Housing Ministry and several other offices was to rescue people and by the time evacuation was completed, the fire had spread.
In an interview with PSM at the site of the incident, Minister Ghassan said that MNDF was on the scene at 06:30 hrs following the fire.
The first thing we did was evacuate people from the residential buildings in the area and by the time we finished, the fire was already blazing, he said.
"We began evacuating civilians to safety due to the wind, as we didn’t want any loss of life with the fire potentially worsening," the minister added.
"We used all the equipment at our disposal, including MNDF’s MDUs, to extinguish the fire. At the same time, we are working to salvage the documents of the Male' City Council and other offices," Ghassan said.
The fire, which started in the Housing Ministry building on Ameenee Magu, spread to the Environment Ministry building and an office of the Malé City Council.
While MNDF managed to bring the fire under control four hours after it began, they are still working to completely extinguish the flames. Thick smoke continues to billow from the building, affecting a large area. Schools in the vicinity have been temporarily shut down.
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