MNDF probes alleged chemical warehouse in Male’

Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) has conducted an inspection following the allegation chemicals were stored in a privately owned warehouse in Male’ City.

The allegation was made by someone identified as Ahmed Naeem on Twitter on Sunday evening.

Naeem said that chemicals were being stored in a warehouse located on Lily Magu, and that the warehouse workers themselves admitted that. He shared pictured taken from inside and outside the warehouse.

Lily magu G.gaskara irumahchah huri gudhaneh ,ethaa muvazzafun ves bunee gudhan kohffa huree chemical kamah ????☢️☣️ @MariyaDidi @MNDF_Official @PoliceMv @MMuizzu mikan check kolha devva nurakkaleh kurimathi nuvanees tku ???? pic.twitter.com/gJ1ioYOGNI

— Ahmed Naeem (@ahdnaeem) April 2, 2023

MNDF’s spokesperson told Sun on Monday that the allegation is under investigation by the Fire and Rescue Service.

“We have conducted the inspection and are waiting for the report,” he said.

The storage of chemicals was banned in Male’ City following a huge fire at a chemical warehouse in 2019 which killed a young woman and torched a whole neighborhood, dislocating some 400 people.

According to Defense Ministry records, there were 126 chemical warehouses in Male’ at the time, 86 of them in residential buildings.

The government ordered for all chemical warehouses in Male’ to be moved to Thilafushi.