Emergency services have successfully controlled a fire that broke out at the Ministry of Housing, Land and Urban Development building today, following a major evacuation operation that saw residents in surrounding buildings flee to safety.

The Maldivian Red Crescent (MRC) and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) coordinated the evacuation effort, establishing an emergency centre at the Social Centre to accommodate displaced residents. The NDMA also set up a dedicated helpline at 115 for those requiring assistance.

Speaking to the media at the fire site, Defence Minister Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon said that all resources were deployed to extinguish the fire using all equipment available to the military, and that their first priority was to evacuate people from nearby buildings to safe locations. The Minister stated that by the time this evacuation was completed, the fire had spread significantly in the building.

The fire also impacted the Ministry of Construction and Infrastructure, and Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy buildings.

Teams are currently working to salvage documents and property from the City Council's Land and Building section and Vital Registration offices located within the affected building.

In a statement, the Housing Ministry assured the public that records related to the Gedhoruveriya housing scheme remain secure, as they are digitally stored in the ministry's cloud system.

No injuries have been reported in the incident. The NDMA continues to urge affected residents to either contact their emergency helpline or proceed directly to the Social Centre for assistance.