A massive fire broke out at a petrol shed in Sh. Funadhoo on Sunday morning, leaving more than 30 residents displaced, damaging five neighbouring homes, and destroying several adjacent workshops and warehouses. The fierce blaze prompted a rapid emergency response, leading to the temporary suspension of outpatient services at the Shaviyani Atoll Hospital as medical teams mobilized to treat casualties.
Twenty individuals were transported to the hospital after suffering from smoke inhalation and minor burn injuries during the incident. Medical officials confirmed that eight patients received treatment for localised burns, but none sustained life-threatening injuries. Following observation and emergency medical care, all 20 individuals were safely discharged later in the day.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reported that the inferno affected five residential properties in the vicinity of the fuel station. One house sustained severe structural destruction, rendering it uninhabitable and forcing authorities to arrange temporary shelter and relief assistance for 33 displaced residents. Multiple workshops and storage facilities nearby also incurred notable property damage.
Firefighting teams from the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), joined by the Funadhoo Airport fire crew, police officers, and island volunteers, managed to contain roughly 90 percent of the fire before bringing it entirely under control around noon. Emergency responders subsequently carried out cooling operations to extinguish residual hotspots smouldering within the fuel depot structure.
The complete destruction of the facility, known locally as the "Fauminee" shed—the island's sole fuel distribution point—has triggered immediate concerns regarding petrol shortages. Island authorities are now coordinating contingency arrangements to secure fuel supplies for local motor vehicles and sea vessels operating in the region while investigations into the cause of the fire proceed.