Fire at housing ministry puts key public records at risk
Efforts to salvage the remaining records are underway.
There is a danger that many important documents of the people of Male will be lost in the fire incident at the Housing Ministry Thursday, deputy Male mayor Mohamed Nareesh has said.
A fire broke out at the Housing Ministry in Malé early Thursday morning, raising concerns about the potential loss of vital public documents. The incident occurred around 7:30 am, causing significant damage to the building. The fire was extinguished after, but a large portion of the premises was destroyed.
The Housing Ministry oversees residential services and buildings under the Male City Council's jurisdiction, and its archives include critical public records. Speaking to the media at the site, Nareesh noted the risk of losing essential documents that date back decades.
"If anyone has a birth certificate, there may be ways to recover it. However, if house registration documents are lost, it may be impossible to restore them," he stated.
The archives reportedly contain documents of all individuals born in Malé since 1960, including household registries and citizenship records.
"If any of these documents are damaged, it will be a significant loss for the public. They cannot be replicated. Proof of ownership or inheritance depends on these records, and they are not available elsewhere," Nareesh emphasised.
Efforts to salvage the remaining records are underway. While the majority of documents have been secured, some items remain inaccessible due to the fire. Authorities are actively working to retrieve them.
