The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has revealed that there are 38 families still under their care following the chemical warehouse fire on 20 September.
While the authority is still providing shelter for 164 individuals from 38 families, they have been accommodated in 14 apartments in “Gaakoshi” as well as guesthouses.
NDMA is also providing food and essentials for them.
Out of the 38 families, six of them from residences Emotion, Nishan Plaza, Keel and Gasva with a total of 28 members is being provided temporary shelter as construction work is being carried out in their homes.
They will be moved back to their residences once the construction work finishes, within the following week.
Further, they revealed that most of the risk assessment of the area has been completed and that assessed were the buildings affected by the fire and household property.
Structural assessment of the 31 buildings in total, shows that 14 buildings had major damages, three require reconstruction and a few warehouses require to be demolished.
In addition, household property in 41 residences were damaged beyond repair and the losses incurred reach around MVR 1,036,651.
Earlier investigations have revealed that 12 types of chemicals were stored in the warehouse where the fire was originated, in Thilafusheege. They were imported after acquiring the required authorization from the Ministry of Defense and National Security during 2018.
Maldives Police Service (MPS) confirmed that there was no negligence on any part in relation to the incident and that their investigations also do not show that is was done purposefully.
The chemical warehouse fire on 20 September took down four warehouses and six houses in its wake. A total of 786 had sought temporary aid out of which 450 are men and 336 are women. All of those affected were provided temporary shelter by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) within the few days that followed. It had also taken the life of a 46-year-old woman, Aishath Shauna.
Out of the total amount, 636 are Maldivians and 104 Bangladeshi nationals, 19 Indians, 16 Nepalis, 14 Sri Lankan nationals, six Philippine nationals and one Egyptian.
The incident was the biggest such incident in recent history and the government has assured the public that necessary action will be taken to prevent such incidents from repeating.
