date_range
Friday 31 Jan 2025
LOCAL EDITION
close
LOCAL EDITION
Recent extreme weather has caused a number of incidents at sea, including an incident where a boat travelling with 30 passengers to Baa Dharavandhoo ran aground on Kaafu Gaafaru reef today.
Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) stated that Kurimagu Boat from Gaafaru ran aground the island's reef during an attempt go into island’s harbour to find shelter from the rough seas. MNDF said that they received reports of the incident at 10:35 am and that assistance was promptly provided by the Coast Guard.
“The boat moved to deeper water, soon after it ran onto the reef. It has now gone into the Gaafaru harbour. Gaafaru island council is now assisting them because the boat is taking in water,” MNDF said.
Maldives National Defence Force reveals that a number of incidents occurred at sea during the last 24 hours due to extreme weather.
They said that a safari yacht named Ensis Bounty travelling between Thaa and Laamu atoll with 11 tourist passengers suffered damages due to high winds and had requested assistance from another yacht that was in the area. MNDF responded by dispatching a harbour craft speed boat from the force’s Dhaalu Kudahuvadhoo Central Area base.
MNDF also said that a vessel named Holhudhoo Boat that was travelling to Noonu Holhudhoo with 106 passengers had requested their assistance around 2:00 am last night when a large wave had flooded the vessel. MNDF provided transportation for 5 passengers on the boat that did not want to continue the trip and helped them return to Male’.
MNDF also revealed that they received a report around 11:00 am this morning that a vessel named Hedheykuri had run aground onto the western reef of Alif Dhaalu Mahibadhoo. They said that Mahibadhoo Council, the island’s police station and locals from the island responded and assisted in the vessel.
In response to the recent extreme weather, Coast Guard has issued a public warning to refrain from taking up sea travel and to stay on dry land.
