Five Bangladeshis were killed and two others injured in a gas fire at a company labour quarter on Dhigurah Island in the Maldives early Friday.
The deceased were identified as Taj Uddin Islam, Sadar Ali, Robin Molla, Shafiqul Islam and Nurnabi Sarkar. The injured are Jamal Uddin and Saddam Hossain. The victims were preparing sehri during Ramadan when a gas fire broke out in the quarter.
Labour Counsellor Sohel Parvez at Bangladesh High Commission in the Maldives confirmed the incident, adding the other residents of the quarter – among 38 Bangladeshis living there – were asleep in separate rooms at the time.
He said efforts are underway to bring the bodies of the victims back to Bangladesh.
Dhigurah Island Council President Ibrahim Usman told local media that some residents were asleep when the fire broke out. Initial reports suggest the blaze may have been caused by a gas leak during cooking, although the exact cause will be determined after a police investigation.
Eyewitnesses and High Commission officials said seven Bangladeshis suffered burns in the fire and were rushed to a local hospital, where five later died. The two critically injured victims have been transferred to the capital, Malé, for advanced treatment.
Local authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire.
Sohel Parvez said one of the injured is receiving treatment in the intensive care unit, while the other remains in the emergency department. A delegation from the Bangladesh High Commission is on the island to monitor the situation, he added.
