Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Saturday promised to step up efforts to relocate workshops and garages outside of residential areas after visiting the building here where a major fire broke out, killing 10 people, including 7 Indians.
A fire broke out in a car repair garage in M Nirufehi, located near the Maaveyo Mosque, on Thursday. The garage was located on the ground floor, while the first floor of the building housed migrant workers from Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka.
Speaking to local media outlets, President Solih highlighted delays in relocating workshops and garages outside of residential areas and affirmed the relocation will move forward at a prompt pace.
The Maldives head of state made the affirmation after visiting the site of Maafannu Senrose (west block), which was caught in a deadly blaze. The fire claimed multiple lives, with 10 confirmed deaths, The Edition.mv newspaper reported.
President Solih confirmed all the warehouses storing hazardous chemicals were shifted outside of residential areas following another deadly fire back in September 2019. The fire in a Henveiru district residence, which housed a chemical warehouse on the ground floor, had claimed one life.
Solih, who visited the site to assess the damage, said garages and workshops will be relocated after resolving overcrowding in the country's capital.
"It has been delayed truly, but this is something we need to resolve promptly," he was quoted as saying in the report.
Speaking to local media, he confirmed the industrial island has several plots allocated for garages and workshops.
Thursday's incident is reported as the most harrowing fire ever recorded in Male City in terms of lives claimed and damage to property.
According to officials, 10 people died in the incident in Male city. All victims are foreigners working in the garage, the report said.
"The western part of the garage building is three stories high and has a wooden deck. According to local residents, it was a place where foreigners lived. The adjacent Senrose house was also badly damaged by the fire," it said.
According to authorities, the migrant quarters above the garage housed at least 38 people, and there were cooking gas cylinders placed next to each bed.
