Ferry Capsizes in Maldives
By Aiswarya Lakshmi
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
A ferry enroute to South Ari Atoll (Alif Dhaal atoll) Maamigili from the capital Male has capsized leaving all the passengers onboard stranded at sea.
Around 80 passengers had reportedly been on-board including women and children. Some rescued passengers have been brought to Male while others have been taken to a nearby resort.
Maldives National Defence Forece (MNDF) confirmed the news and stated that although no one is reported hurt, all were wearing life jackets.
MNDF spokesperson said the ferry sank six miles to the west of Kaaf Atoll Guraidhoo around 5.40am on Tuesday.
"Even when we received the report the passengers were at sea. We are now rescuing the passengers. But it is yet to be confirmed if all the passengers have been rescued. Fortunately they were all wearing life-jackets. The passengers are being rescued by MNDF vessels with the help from nearby resorts," media official Major Adnan Haleem said.
According to the spokesperson the exact number of passengers on-board the vessel is still to be confirmed. Spokesperson said MNDF has been having trouble contacting private vessels assisting the rescue operation.