Maamendhoo boat breaks in half while out fishing

A fiber boat out for fishing from GaafuAlif atoll with 16 crewmen, has broken in half.

The boat named “Masdhuveli” with dimensions of 104 by 20 feet belongs to Ali Idhrees of Fithuroanu villa,Laamu Maamendhoo.

Crewman Yousuf Abdulla of Harumalaa, LaamuFunadhoo,said that the incident happened at 09:46am today. He said that the boat had departed after collecting bait from Ekafaru Kandu and was about 6 miles away from GaafuAlif atoll when itbroke from the middle.

The crewman said that the boat has now been towed to Gaafu Alif Villingili harbor with the help of several fishing vessels, including one from Gaafu Alif atoll and two from Laamu atoll Maamendhoo, as well as a Coast Guard speedboat.

“The lower plank had broken from both sides. We tied the two parts together and started towing the boat. The boat was held together feebly from two other places,” said Yousub-be, the crewman.

He also said that the boat had one Bangladeshi and 15 Maldivian men on-board, and that everybody was in good condition.

The incident is being investigated by the MNDF and the Coast Guard.