A fire that started in Neelaan fihaara in Male' spread to an adjacent migrant accommodation block housing around 200 expatriate workers.
The Neelaan fihaara is a store that sells and auctions used items and most of the items at the store are used furniture and electronics. The fire was reported around 5:45 am in the morning but it took authorities a while to control the fire and not before it spread to the accommodation block.
The block is run by the Male' City Council and most of those living in the block are Bangladeshi nationals.
It has been reported that many were still inside the building when the fire started in Neelan Fihaara and rushed out of the building grabbing whatever they can.
While the migrants were moved to Imaadudheen school temporarily, those at the school said to 'The Press' that once they realized that there has been a fire, they hastened to escape with some grabbing a few belongings and others leaving them inside the building.
The Migrants informed that the accommodation blocked hosted around 200 migrants and that top officials from the Council have met with them. But they said that arrangements for temporary accommodation were not finalized yet and authorities were now questioning them over the fire.
The fire in Neelan fihaara forced the Education ministry to cancel the morning session of the Imadhudheen school while two other schools began their morning sessions a little later than scheduled.
