Southern economy takes hit with Aagala vessel fire

Given the magnitude of the damage, the owners of the Aagala boat didn't want to talk about the tragedy that took place on Sunday night. The boat that travels between Addu and Male, which is their main source of income, caught fire and turned to ash in a short time. It was difficult for them to relay the story of the destruction of their business, which had been flourishing for many years.

It wasn't just a shock to the owners of the Aagala boat. Several traders carry goods on the boat every month from the southern atolls. The Aagala boat usually takes off from Hithadhoo, Addu and stops in the islands of the Gaafu Dhaalu atoll. And then from these islands the boat goes to Male. It also takes the same route to load off the goods they bring back from Male.

It is docked in Addu and is the only boat to carry business as per schedule like this.

"It will make three to four trips every month. The traders' goods are brought from Male and goods from this end were taken to Male," said Ahmed Saeed, member of Hithadhoo Council.

"That's why a lot of traders depend on the boat."

According to people familiar with the matter, Aagala was on its way to Male from the islands of south, when it caught fire. The first fire broke out in the engine room of the ship. The crew tried to douse the flames, but within a short span of time, the smoke rose and engulfed a large portion of the ship.

To save their lives, the 15 crew members of the boat jumped into the sea. An Indian, who was travelling in the boat, went missing in the incident.

With the belongings of many traders, the boat was burnt to ashes and sank within a few hours. Among the items that were burnt were items belonging to common people worth a lot of money.

The Southern Maldives Business Expo, which connects businesses in the south through a single platform, described the incident as a huge loss for both small and medium businesses in the region.

The Aagala boat, which has been sailing to Male for 15 years, has been designed lately to carry a variety of cargo. It is one of the boats where vehicles brought by traders to Addu can be sent back to the capital. In addition, traders are most dependent on this boat because they stop in several islands and atolls in the south when they cargo goods up and down.

"I think it's a disaster. It's a huge loss for the business community," said Ahmed Shareef, a senior Southern Maldives official.

"We can estimate the damage as we take care of all the businesses in the South. We want the government to help them in this regard."

The owner of the Aagala boat also runs another boat called 'Aagala Queen', but since most businessmen carry their goods on the Aagala boat, it will hurt a lot of people. Some traders in Addu city expect the demand to increase, especially as the fasting month draws to a close, as not enough goods can be brought in.

"Business in the entire south will also be affected," Shareef said.