Officers of the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) were deployed in Male' City in the early hours of Thursday, as a massive fire broke out in a residential building Morning View 3 in Macchangoalhi ward of the Maldives' capital.

MNDF revealed they had received reports of the fire at 5am, and the blaze was reportedly brought under control within the hour. Officers of the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) continue to be active at the scene, with residents of nearby buildings also evacuated away from the danger as dawn broke on Thursday.

Witness accounts from the scene suggest that the fire had spread quickly, with some stating that they had heard explosive sounds as the blaze caught.

MNDF reported that the fire is under control, and that there is no present danger to surrounding buildings at this time.

Residents evacuated from the area have been given temporary shelter in Ghiyaasuddin International School, with MNDF confirming that the blaze had been put out completely a little past 6am.

Minister of Defense Mariya Ahmed Didi and Male' City Mayor Dr. Mohamed Muizzu Adnan were both photographed at the scene alongside officers of MNDF past 6am.

In live interview with Raajje TV, Mayor Dr. Muizzu stated that he had listened to the stories of citizens who had been witnesses to the fire breaking out, and noted delays in MNDF response as one of the reasons why the fire had not been controlled quickly. Dr. Muizzu described the fire as a "small" one, and noted that MNDF had first sent a smaller fire vehicle to the scene initially, 40 to 50 minutes after the fire had first been reported. He added that a larger vehicle had been deployed after, and criticized MNDF for refusing to enter nearby homes to better access vantage points, likely due to the prevailing threat of Covid-19 in Male' City.

While Dr. Muizzu had criticized MNDF for their "delayed" response, Maldives Fire and Rescue Services revealed earlier that they had received reports of the fire at around 5am on Thursday. Shortly after. Fire and Rescue Services confirmed the fire had been placed under control at around 5:45am, and put out at 6:09am.

Mayor Dr. Muizzu stated that Male' City Council would be meeting with representatives from MNDF and Fire and Rescue Services to discuss the perceived delays in attending to the fire.