A vessel caught fire early morning on 06th March 2023 at 0.9 nautical miles from Meemu atoll Thuvaru. The boat named’Aagalaa’ was traveling to Male’ from Addu city when the fire broke out.
There were 15 people on board including the crew members, who jumped to the sea to when the fire started. According to Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) cost guard, they received the report around 2:47 early morning and rescued 14 people from the sea.
One person, an Indian man is still missing and MNDF is conducting search and rescue operations in the area. The crew includes five locals, five Indians, and five Bangladeshis. MNDF further reported that everyone except the missing man were taken to Meemu atoll Mulee hospital for are currently being treated at the hospital.
The boat completely burned down and reportedly sank to the sea by 8:20 am. The Aagalaa boat regularly travels between Male’ and Addu city.
