Three rescued after boat carrying waste to Thilafushi runs aground

The Coast Guard have rescued three sailors, after the boat they were on, transporting waste from a resort in northern Maldives to K. Thilafushi, ran aground on a reef off an uninhabited island in N. Atoll.

The boat, Guruva 1, had been carrying waste from a resort in HA. Atoll to the industrial island of Thilafushi when it wrecked on a reef off N. Kudarah on Friday night.

The incident was reported to the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) Northern Area Command Coast Guard First Squadron at 11:24 pm on Friday.

The boat had been travelling with three crew members; a Maldivian citizen and two expatriates.

A team from the MNDF Northern Area Command Coast Guard First Squadron was deployed to the area on a harbor craft and rescued the sailors.

They arrived safely in N. Holhudhoo at around 08:45 am Saturday.

All three crew members were unharmed in the incident, said the MNDF.

The incident took place amid a white weather alert for strong winds and rough seas for a large area, spanning from northern to central Maldives.

The national weather agency attributes the strong winds and rough seas to the active Southwest Monsoon, known locally as the Hulhangu Monsoon.