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Family displaced in Malé as bad weather continues

Several other incidents on land and at sea have been reported across the Maldives as a bout of bad weather with the onset of the south-west monsoon continues unabated.

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Some 18 people were forced out of their home Sunday night when a wall fell on their roof after Malé was buffeted by strong winds.

Parts of a brick wall from the Sosun Flower house in the Henveiru ward of the capital, which was damaged in a fire in December, fell on the Sosun Meade house next door and damaged the roof, according to National Disaster Management Center.

The NDMC arranged temporary accommodation for the displaced family at guesthouses until the roof of the three-storey building could be repaired. The authorities expect the repair work to be completed today.

The gust of strong wind Sunday evening also brought down several trees and a campaign poster of President Abdulla Yameen on Malé’s western waterfront.

The glass door of a Bank of Maldives ATM centre outside the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital was also shattered and most roads were inundated after heavy rainfall.

Ferries from the capital to its suburbs Hulhumalé and Vilimalé were suspended for about two hours after the Maldives Meteorological Services issued a yellow alert advising against sea travel.

According to the met office, central and northern atolls experienced heavy rain and thunderstorms with gust winds of 45 miles per hour.

State media reported that strong winds also uprooted trees and caused damages in Vilimalé and Hulhumalé.

Several other incidents on land and at sea have been reported across the Maldives amid the bout of bad weather with the onset of the south-west monsoon.

A spokesman for the Maldives National Defence Force said property damage has been reported from several islands, adding that soldiers are working with the NDMC in providing assistance.

On Sunday, the MNDF coastguard responded to a distress call from a speedboat travelling from the Summer Island Resort to the airport with 27 tourists onboard.

The speedboat was taking on water due to leakages when a coast guard vessel arrived to rescue the tourists and crewmembers.

The coastguard also helped float a sinking safari vessel docked near Hulhumalé.

The southernmost atoll has suffered the heaviest damage so far after a tornado struck the Hithadhoo ward of Addu City last Wednesday, blowing off roofs and uprooting large trees.

The roofs of the 12 affected houses have since been repaired by the NDMC with help from the military and state-owned companies.

Some 80 homes were also affected by flooding in the southern island of Nadella in Gaaf Alif atoll.

A missing landing craft was meanwhile located Saturday night with the help of the Indian navy and is expected to arrive in Malé on Tuesday morning.

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