Garage fire: Bodies of all 8 Indian workers flown back home

The bodies of all eight Indian nationals who died in the deadly fire in Maafannu district of Male’ City last week have been flown back home to their families, confirms the Indian High Commission.

The fire broke out at M. Nirufehi, located near the Maaveyo Mosque, around 12:30 am Thursday. The ground floor of the building housed a car repair garage - where the fire originated from, while the first and second floors housed cramped accommodation for migrant workers.

The fire killed 10 migrant workers; eight Indians – five males and three females, and two Bangladeshis – a male and a female. The fire also critically injured one - a Bangladeshi male.

The Indian High Commission in Maldives confirmed in a tweet Thursday that the bodies of the eight Indian nationals who died in the fire have been flown back home to their families.

“Mortal remains of all 8 Indian nationals, who lost their lives in this unfortunate incident, have been repatriated to India,” said the Indian High Commission.

Efforts to transport the bodies of the victims of the fire were coordinated by the Maldives Police Service and Maldivian Foreign Ministry.

The Indian High Commission thanked Maldivian authorities for their support.

“We thank Maldivian authorities for their support in this regard,” said the Indian High Commission.

On Tuesday, authorities found a human foot during fire cleanup at Nirufehi. Police have yet to confirm whether the foot belongs to one of the 10 known victims of the fire, or another unknown victim.

The investigation into the fire remains ongoing.