Fire in Malé Government Offices Threatens Vital Registration Records

A fire that broke out in several government offices in Malé today has raised concerns over the potential loss of critical registration documents.  

The blaze engulfed offices housing the Ministry of Housing, Land and Urban Development, the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, as well as the Malé City Council. Among the affected facilities is the City Council’s vital registration office, which manages birth and death records alongside residency and house registration documents.  

advertisement

Deputy Mayor Ahmed Nareesh told media that the building contains records dating back to the 1960s. He expressed grave concern about the potential impact on house registries for Malé residents.  

“Damage to those documents will be unrecoverable. These documents are not stored anywhere else,” he said.  

Nareesh noted that efforts were made to salvage the records, with police and army personnel assisting in removing many documents from the premises.  

Earlier today, Ministry of Housing assured the public that data relating to the government’s housing schemes remain secure, as these records are backed up on cloud-based systems and are unaffected by the fire.