Warehouse fire in Maldives capital claims one life
A 49-year-old woman was trapped in a building opposite the warehouse.
21 Sep 2019, 9:00 AM
A 49-year-old woman died and more than 400 people were forced out of their homes on Friday night after a fire broke out in a warehouse stored with chemicals in a residential area of Malé.
Aishath Shauna was reported missing by her family after she called for help as houses were being evacuated around 7:30pm. Her body was found burned beyond recognition in a building opposite the warehouse after the fire was brought under control four hours later.
Witnesses heard loud explosions from the warehouse before flames spread to other buildings and ripped through apartments on the narrow road in Henveiru ward. A three-storey structure made of metal sheets collapsed. Firefighters battled for hours as the area was engulfed in thick smoke and massive plumes rose high above the island.
The military’s fire and rescue service saved five people trapped in the house opposite the warehouse, Maldives National Defence Force Colonel Abdulla Ibrahim told the press in a briefing after midnight. Six homes and four warehouses were affected, said the fire and rescue services commander.
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