Maldives National Defence Force MNDF says this is the 3rd fire at the garage where a devastating blaze killed 10 people last night.
Speaking to reporters at the scene of the fire, MNDF Colonel Ibrahim Rasheed said that the garage housed many types of gas cylinders but authorities have not been able to say with certainty what caused the fire.
The Colonel confirmed that MNDF firefighters retrieved 10 bodies from the building and that another victim who was taken to IGMH for further treatment was in critical condition.
He said that it was difficult to differentiate the gender of the burnt victims due to the severity of their injuries.
The MNDF official further said that they were yet to check one of the bodies and that the officials were now handling this task.
The devastating fire originated from Maafanu Nirufehi but spread to the nearby Senrose building and both were labor quarters for migrant workers with Indian, Sri Lankan, and Bangladeshi nationals.
Colonel Rasheed said that this was the third fire incident at the garage and that the last fire was reported in May of this year.
He added that at that time the fire ignited because of negligence in using a gas cutter.
Colonel Rasheed also confirmed that each of the labor quarters had gas stoves near the beds.
It is still unclear how many foreigners actually lived in these buildings.
