Day: September 12, 2011

Hanimaadhoo women take over council office

A group of women on the island of Hanimaadhoo in Haa Dhaal Atoll have taken over the island council office in protest on non-payment of six-months worth of wages for sweeping and cleaning the island.

Haveeru reports that the women gathered outside the council office yesterday and stopped anyone from entering. After leaving the area late in the afternoon, the disgruntled women together with some youth on the island blocked the three gates of the council office this morning.

Hanimaadhoo Council Chair Abdusalam Ali said he was allowed to enter the office only to send a message to the Finance Ministry.

He explained that the women were owed a total of Rf150,000 (US$10,000) as remuneration for six months. The protestors meanwhile insist that they would not leave the office until they were paid.

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Boy hospitalised with smoke inhalation after house fire

A 16 year-old boy was admitted to Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) this afternoon after being severely injured in a residential house fire in Maafannu Piyaji.

A spokesperson from IGMH, Zeenath Ali, said that the boy was currently in the hospital’s intensive care unit after suffering after his lungs were affected by the smoke.

‘’According to doctors his body was burnt less than five percent, but because his lungs were affected by the smoke his condition is severe,’’ Zeenath said. ‘’His palms, knees and feet were injured in the fire.’’

Zeenath said he was brought to the hospital around 3:05 pm this afternoon.

The fire incident occurred around 2:05 pm this afternoon according to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) fire department.

The MNDF said the fire started on the ground floor of the three storey building.

According to a statement issued by the MNDF, the firefighters were told the boy was still in the building and eventually found him on the third floor of the building.

The MNDF said the boy was immediately taken to hospital in a MNDF vehicle.

‘’The MNDF firefighters searched the house to there was anybody else inside the house, but there was nobody else inside,’’ MNDF said in the statement.

The MNDF said that the fire was controlled at 14:35pm, and noted that it affected the second and third floor of the building of the house.

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