A 51 year-old Italian tourist died in a boat propeller accident while snorkeling on Thursday afternoon (January 31) near Elaa Island in Thaa Atoll.
Minivan News spoke to Veymandoo Regional Hospital Manager Abdulla Mauroof about the incident, who confirmed that the woman was pronounced dead on arrival.
According to Mauroof, the woman suffered a “major injury to her skull”.
“Her body is still being held under police charge at the hospital and a police forensics team has been dispatched,” Mauroof added.
The snorkeling accident was reported at 14:50. The dive boat operator has not been confirmed at this time.
During 2012, tourist deaths – usually while snorkelling – were disproportionately higher among Chinese tourists, who now account for a majority of Maldives tourist arrivals compared to the country’s traditional European markets.
In October 2012, a 26 year-old male from China staying at Alif Dhaal Atoll Vakafaru resort was suspected to have died in a snorkelling accident at the property.
A Maldivian national received minor injuries today after losing control of a vehicle on the runway of Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) that crashed into the site’s surrounding waters, local media has reported.
Police confirmed that only one person was in the vehicle during the time of the incident, which occurred at about 11:30am today. Officials at the airport said the driver, who was taken to Hulhumale’ Hospital for treatment, had not been seriously injured, according to local newspaper Haveeru.
A police vehicle collided with a group of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) supporters while it was en-route to a crime scene on Fuvamulah in Gnaviyani Atoll, where a gang had stabbed one man, injured two others and damaged parked motorcycles.
In a statement, police said the vehicle collided with a motorcycle that had turned into Ghaazee Road.
People in the area when the incident occurred vandalised the police vehicle and assaulted police officers in the vehicle, read the police statement.
Police said two persons injured in the accident, as well as the gang attack victim, were admitted to Fuvamulah Hospital.
However online newspaper ‘Kattelhi’, based in Fuvamulah, reported that the police vehicle was returning from the crime scene at around 9:30pm when it collided with a motorcyclist, causing the driver to lose control and crash into parked motorcycles. The paper alleged the vehicle was travelling at a very high speed.
Immediately following the crash, people gathered in front of the MDP Fuvamulah Office surrounded the police vehicle, broke the glass, and attacked police officers inside the vehicle, Kattelhi reported.
Kattelhi reported that its reporters witnessed some of the officers being admitted to Fuvamulah Hospital.
The paper identified the injured two persons as Ahmed Hassan, 23 and Ali Saeed, 30 both of them Fuvamulah islanders.
According to Kattelhi one man’s head was badly injured and his body bruised, however according to Fuvamulah Hospital no one was seriously injured.
Minivan News understands that the person who received injuries to his head has been brought to Male’ for treatment.
One man suffered bruises and head injuries in the accident
Kattelhi quoted people in the area as saying that the police vehicle was travelling at an unusually high speed and that there was enough space for it in the middle of the road. MDP supporters were on both sides of road attending a meeting.
The paper identified the gang attack victim as 18 year-old Ahmed Juman, who was stabbed in the head but was not seriously injured.
Supporters of government-aligned parties later gathered near Fuvamulah Hospital and Fuvamulah Police Headquarters, claiming that they believed MDP supporters were coming to attack police, according to Kattelhi. The crowd left after police requested them to leave.
Police Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef said the police statement was issued based on the information police have received so far and that the investigation into the case was ongoing.
A 21 year-old man was killed and an 18 year-old man was critically injured after a motorbike crash on the island of Kulhudhufushi island last night.
The motorbike crashed into a wall last night at about 3:55am in the morning, according to police.
Police identified the 21 year-old man as Ahmed Ibrahim and the injured man as Adam Sinah. Both are islanders from Kulhudhufushi.
Sinah is currently in Kulhudhufushi Regional Hospital’s ICU receiving treatment. Islanders prepared Ibrahim’s body to be laid to rest this afternoon after Asr Prayers, according to the Island Council.
According to a statement issued by police, the pair both suffered head wounds in the crash, and both bled from their nose and ears.
Upon receiving the reports, police officers attended the scene and found one victim’s body under the motorbike while the other person’s body was lying 14 feet away from the bike, said police in the statement.
Police said that both were unconscious when police arrived and were immediately taken to Kulhudhufishu Regional Hospital, where Ibrahim was pronounced dead.
Police Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef said police cannot disclose further information as the investigation continues.
Council Member of Kulhudhufushi Ibrahim Rameez told Minivan News that the accident occurred before 3:30am early in the morning.
‘’We do not know what they were up to but the accident occurred near the house of one person involved in the accident and it could be believed that they were on their way to his home,’’ Rameez said.
‘’The motorbike crashed into the outer wall of a house and there are signs where the bike hit,’’ he said, adding that the wall was not damaged.
Rameez said the council was informed about the incident at dawn.
The traffic police have requested those who witnessed an accident in which an ambulance collided with a 25 year-old man at the intersection of Orchid Magu and Chandaanee Magu over the weekend to come forward.
According to police, the ambulance was driving with its siren sounding en route to an emergency pickup.
The man sustained injuries to his head, face and arms in the collision and was taken to Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital for treatment.
Police said the most accurate witnesses would be persons on vehicles waiting at the intersection of Orchid Magu and Chandanee Magu.
Police requested all persons who had information on the case to contact the police duty officer on 988 8999, or traffic police number 333 3835 or the police toll-free number 119.
A second person has died while being treated in hospital following a motorcycle in Male’ accident on October 23.
23 year-old Hassan Amir died Thursday evening while undergoing treatment in India, reported Haveeru.
Shaaheena Hassan, who was thrown from another motorcycle in the collision last week, died during treatment in Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) last Sunday October 24.
Three motorcycles and a taxi were involved in the accident last week. The rider on one motorcycle in in police custody.
Shaheena Hassan, 20, who was severely injured in a fatal motorbike accident on Saturday, died last night while she was being treated a coma at Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).
Hassan Amir, 22, was also injured severely during the accident.
Shaheena was sitting on the back seat of her friend’s motorcycle traveling from east to west near the swimming tracks in Male’. Witnesses said that Amir was riding at high speed with a group of motorbikes travelling in the opposite direction along Boduthakurufaanu Magu, according to witnesses.
As the driver of the motorbike with Shaheena turned left, Amir’s motorbike hit its front wheel, causing Shaheena to fall from the motorcycle. Amir lost control of his motorcycle and and crashed into a taxi parked in front of Hakatha petrol shed.
Amir’s landed under the car, while Shaheena lay in the middle of the road.
Police officers passing by stopped and attended the incident, lifting the left side of the car to extract Amir. Shaheena was taken was taken to hospital in the taxi, while Amir was carried to hospital in a private car.
Earlier, police reported that a sharp object had penetrated her neck and caused internal bleeding in her brain.
Amir’s was in a serious condition, and attempts were being made to take him abroad for further medical treatment.
The person driving the motorcycle with Shaheena was not injured.
The two motorbikes and the number plate of the parked car was damaged during the incident.