Boats that hit Sinamalé Bridge were under Customs custody, MNDF says
The MNDF said those on board the vessels were rescued and that arrangements were being made to hand them over to Customs.
The two vessels that drifted into a pillar of the Sinamalé Bridge on Thursday night were under the custody of Maldives Customs Service, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has said.
Videos circulated on social media showed a fuel-carrying barge and a tugboat drifting before striking the bridge.
The MNDF said those on board the vessels were rescued and that arrangements were being made to hand them over to Customs.
It also confirmed that both vessels were under Customs custody at the time of the incident.
The boats are understood to be the two vessels seized in April after allegedly entering Maldivian waters without authorisation. Some local media reported at the time that authorities became aware of the vessels about a week after they entered the country.
China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), which carries out maintenance work on the Sinamalé Bridge, had staff at the site on Friday morning following the incident.
It is not yet clear whether the bridge, the fuel barge or the tugboat sustained any damage.
