Battery malfunction causes speedboat fire, 24 injured

Some 24 people, including Chinese, Japanese, and Indian tourists, were injured this afternoon after a speedboat caught fire near the Hulhulé airport island.

The speedboat was reportedly en route to the Club Med Kani resort from the airport and caught fire due to a battery malfunction.

A Chinese couple and their five-year-old child are undergoing treatment for severe burns at the ADK private hospital in Malé.

According to ADK, the Chinese tourists undergoing treatment include a 39-year-old man, a 37-year-old woman, and their five-year-old child.

The man and woman suffered burns to 20 percent and 22 percent of the bodies while the child suffered burns to 10 percent of the body.

A Bangladeshi crew member suffered burns to his face and is undergoing treatment.

According to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), the other victims, including 18 foreigners and two Maldivians, were taken to the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH). Four were released last night.

None of the victims at IGMH sustained serious injuries, the MNDF said.

The ‘Souvenir 18’ speedboat’s engine caught fire around 1:10pm, the MNDF said, and the fire and rescue service extinguished the flames about an hour later.