AMN / MALE

At least Nine Indian workers among 10 people killed in a fire that engulfed cramped lodgings of foreign workers in the Maldives capital Male, the fire service said on Thursday adding that several others were injured in the fire.

Officials said 10 bodies were recovered from the upper floor of a building destroyed in the fire, which originated from a ground-floor vehicle repair garage.

The dead included nine Indians and a Bangladesh national.

According to initial reports, the fire originated from a vehicle repair garage on the ground floor of a building. A fire department official said that it took four hours to put out the blaze.

The Indian High Command in Maldives responded to the incident and said in a statement, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic fire incident in Malé which has caused loss of lives, including reportedly of Indian nationals. We are in close contact with the Maldivian authorities.”

The Indian High Command also listed helpline numbers in a Twitter statement.