Two injured in gas cylinder explosion

Two crew members of the ‘Lily Regal’ cargo ship were injured yesterday in a gas cylinder explosion on board the vessel.

Lily Enterprises told local media that the two men – a Maldivian and a foreigner – were welding on deck when a gas cylinder inside a container exploded.

The Lily Regal was docked near the commercial harbour in Malé when the incident occurred.

Contrary to media reports, Lily Enterprises said the gas leak did not cause a fire on board the ship.

While the Maldivian has since been released after treatment of minor injuries at the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, the expatriate is reportedly undergoing treatment for a leg fracture.

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Fined container ship permitted to leave

A container ship that ran aground off the east coast of Male’ in early January and was fined MVR 61.6 million for damage to the area’s reef has been permitted to leave after providing a bank guarantee, reports local media.

During an investigation into the incident, the Maldivian Transit Authority prohibited the Auguste Schulte from leaving the country.

The ship’s operator, Silver Company, has said it plans to carry out its own investigation into damage sustained to the reef before paying the fine, transit authority Chair Rasheed Nafiz has previously claimed.

“As keeping the ship here would cause major losses to the company, we have given the green light for the ship to leave after the bank guarantee was given,” Nafiz explained to Haveeru.

Previously, a ship operated by Delmas – the same company local media reported as owning Auguste Schulte – was stranded in the same area for 20 days.

Mohammed Nabeel, Managing Director of Silver Company, told local media that the compensation claim for that previous ship was set at MVR 4.5 million (US$ 291,828), adding that the contrast between the two figures is “remarkable”.

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STO cargo ship held in Indian port

A cargo ship belonging the State Trading Organisation (STO) is being held in an Indian port.

The ship was loaded with 44,000 sacks of rice to be brought to Male’.

Ismail Shakir, director general for the ministry of economic development said “The report we have received from the STO is that the ship is being held because the rice they got was not meant to be exported.”

Ismail Sadiq of STO confirmed the report. “The ship belongs to us and so does the rice.”

Sadiq also reassured the public that “The supply of rice will not be affected by this incident.”

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