Maldives: 9 Indians out of 10 killed in a building fire in Male

So far, ten bodies were recovered from the upper floor of the building charred in the fire that originated from a ground-floor vehicle repair garage, AFP reported.

The blaze was put off by the firefighters after battling for nearly four hours, the report said.

"We have found 10 bodies," a fire service official told AFP.

The Indian High Commission in Maldives has expressed sorrow over the tragic incident and said they were in close contact with the local authorities.

"We are deeply saddened by the tragic fire incident in Malé which has caused loss of lives, including reportedly of Indian nationals," the high commission said in a tweet.

Male has a significant number of foreign workers mostly from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, comprising nearly half of the city's 2,50,000-strong population.

Reports said foreign workers live in poor conditions, and this came to light during the Covid pandemic when the infection spread three times faster among than the local residents.

Meanwhile, an evacuation centre has been set up in a nearby stadium, said National Disaster Management Authority of Maldives.

“NDMA has established an evacuation center in Maafannu Stadium for those displaced and affected by the fire in Male’. Arrangements are being made to provide relief assistance and support,” it said in a tweet.