25 rescued after liveaboard fire in Vaavu Atoll
Police said officers responded to the scene and assisted in the rescue of all passengers and crew on board.
Seventeen tourists and eight crew members were rescued after a fire broke out on the liveaboard vessel Yasawa Princess near Kuda Ambara in Vaavu Atoll on Wednesday evening, police said.
According to the Maldives Police Service, the incident was reported at 5:54 pm, when the vessel was approximately three nautical miles off Kuda Ambara. Police said officers responded to the scene and assisted in the rescue of all passengers and crew on board.
Police said the rescued tourists included five men and 12 women. The crew comprised three Indian nationals, five Bangladeshi nationals and one German national.
The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) said the fire had not been fully extinguished and that the vessel sustained extensive damage. An MNDF spokesperson confirmed that no injuries were reported among those rescued.
Authorities remain at the scene and have begun an investigation into the incident. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
