Defence Minister Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon stated that the immediate priority during the fire at the Housing Ministry building was to evacuate residents from nearby houses to safety.

The fire, which started around 0630hrs on the first floor of a tin-structured section west of the building, was brought under control by MNDF fire rescue teams with assistance from Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL). The blaze was fully doused after four hours.

Minister Ghassan explained to state media PSM that evacuation efforts were crucial due to the risk of the fire spreading rapidly in the area.

"Our focus was on protecting lives and ensuring people were moved to safety quickly," he said.

Efforts were also made to save important documents from nearby offices, including the Malé City Council.

The Housing Ministry confirmed that while the building was completely gutted, no data related to the housing scheme has been lost. All documents are securely stored in digital cloud systems.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Authorities continue to assess the damage and the situation