16-year-old injured by falling electric drill

A 16-year-old boy was hospitalised yesterday after being struck on the head by an electric drill that fell from the sixth floor of a house in Malé.

The Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital’s (IGMH) spokesperson told The Maldives Independent that said the victim was hemorrhaging in the brain, but he is able to talk and respond.

“Doctors have recommended that he be taken abroad for treatment,” she said, but was unable to confirm when or where the would be flown to.

A police spokesman said the top of the electric drill trip while workers were trying to attach a ventilation unit in Maafanu Kaadhu.

A spate of accidents in the capital in recent week has prompted public concern over enforcement of building codes and inadequate safety measures.

Earlier this week, an eight-month-old toddler fell down an open elevator shaft with her grandmother from the sixth floor of a residence in Malé.

The toddler died on the following day from severe brain injuries.

Housing Minister Dr Mohamed Muiz told local media after the accident that the ministry issues permits to take up residency after conducting safety inspections.

“If the owners remove a safety precaution after the permit is issued then they are in violation of the regulation,” he said.

Muiz said the ministry is investigating the incident and will issue a report on its findings.

Earlier this month, an 11-year-old was killed after falling from the balcony on the fifth floor of a house in Malé.

An Indian construction worker also fell to his death from the ninth floor of a building under construction in early October.

A large number of people from across the country live in rented apartments in the congested capital. According to the 2014 census, the population of the Maldives stands at 341,256 people, of which 133,019 reside in Malé.