President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has instructed authorities to conduct a through investigated into a deadly fire that broke out on Friday at an accommodation block for foreign workers in ADh. Dhigurah.

The devastating fire, reported to authorities at 01:57 am Friday, resulted in the death of five Bangladeshi workers, and seriously injured two others.

President Muizzu sent a letter to Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Tuesday, conveying his condolences.

According to a statement issued by the President’s Office, President Muizzu expressed profound sadness and extended deepest condolences on behalf of the people and government of Maldives to the bereaved families, as well as the government and people of Bangladesh.

He acknowledged the valuable role of the Bangladeshi community in the Maldives, and said that the country shares in the grievous loss and sorrow caused by the tragic fire.

He also said that he has instructed relevant authorities to “closely investigate the matter and take every necessary step to prevent an incident of this scale from occurring again.”

The fire at the accommodation block resulted from a gas leak in the kitchen. The people inside were rescued by the police and civilians by breaking in through the wall in the back of the building.

The bodies of at least two of the five victims of the fire were flown back to Bangladesh earlier this week. Meanwhile, the two workers who sustained serious injuries from smoke inhalation are being treated on ventilators at the Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in Male’.

The incident is under investigation by a special investigative team from the Major Crime Investigations Department of the police.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) is also conducting an inquiry to determine whether systemic lapses in safety or human rights violations played a role in the tragedy.