Security Forces are negating a hostage situation on a resort under construction in Baa Atoll Bodu Finolhu after a group of foreigners working in the island captured some locals working alongside them.
It was reported that the foreigners first went on a strike but the situation turned for the worse when the migrant workers decided to hold the locals as hostages on the island after refusing to let them exit the site.
Sources have confirmed to ‘The Press’ that the foreigners are holding 15 Maldivians hostage and have armed themselves with pipes as weapons.
Sources have also said that the foreigners are demanding that they get paid for their work and they would release the hostages when they receive their overdue salaries.
Police Special Forces are conducting a rescue operation on the site and have so far rescued four Maldivians while a local escaped on his own and swam to safety.
As most of the foreigners are Bangladeshis, an official from the Bangladeshi High Commission has accompanied the Police on its operations.
The latest updates said that a team from the armed forces MNDF is also joining the rescue operations.
Meanwhile, Managing Director of the company who is overseeing the construction of the resort and MP for Milandhoo constituency Ali Riza said due to the COVID-19 the company has been unable to pay its laborers for the past four months.
Speaking on a program aired by Raaje TV MP Riza said that his company had been unable to give the salaries because of overdue payments from the client, Seal Maldives.
He also said that the workers went on strike because of unpaid salaries.
