Ten people were killed while several others were seriously injured early Thursday when a fire broke out in a garage of a cramped living quarters that housed foreign workers here, a media report said.

Indian nationals were reportedly among the dead.

In a tweet, the Indian High Commission said, "We are deeply saddened by the tragic fire incident in Mal which has caused loss of lives, including reportedly of Indian nationals. We are in close contact with the Maldivian authorities".

The fire broke out in M. Nirufehi area near the Maaveyo Mosque around 12:30 am, according to news portal SunOnline international.

The garage is located on the ground floor, while the first-floor houses migrant workers.

The quarters had only ventilation a single window, the report said.

The Maldives National Defence Force Fire and Rescue Service said that 28 people were evacuated out of the building, while nine people were reported missing.

Seven of them were found dead, while two were taken to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital with severe burns, the report said.

Firefighters later recovered two more bodies from the building.

The fire was doused at 04:34 am, the report added.

Foreign workers constitute about half of Male's 250,000-strong population, who are mostly from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.