Fishing vessel with 15 on board catches fire

A fishing vessel outside of Kurumba Maldives has caught fire and is currently ablaze.

The fire is causing heavy smoke to emanate from the vessel. Although not confirmed, the fire seems to have originated from the engine of the vessel.

MNDF has confirmed that the vessel is a fishing vessel with 15 people on board. 

The police have said that injuries have been reported, with them currently being transported to Male' for treatment via a Kurumba Maldives speedboat. There are currently no details regarding the details of the injuries.

As per the message that was shared with the media by the police, there are 14 people on the vessel, with them having received the incident report at 2:54pm.

The police and the military have said that appropriate action and steps are being taken within the surrounding area.

While the fire had originated from the engine, it has now spread to the entirety of the vessel.