Police release CCTV footage, rules out arson in blaze that burned down ministries

The police on Thursday released CCTV footage of security services responding to the large blaze in 2024 that burned down a block of government buildings in Male’ City – including three ministries.

The fire broke out at a block of government buildings located in the Ameenee Magu of Male’ City at around 06:00 am on December 12, 2024. The buildings housed the Housing Ministry, Infrastructure Ministry, Environment Ministry, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and three sections of the Male’ City Council – including the Vital Registration Department.

It marked the worst fire at a government building in the country’s history.

The decision by the police to release the CCTV footage of the incident follows years of speculation, including allegations of arson.

The footage released by police at a press briefing on Thursday afternoon shows the plumes of smoke originated from the ground floor of the Housing Ministry at around 06:13 am.

CCTV footage from the moment caught a security guard and a migrant worker who exited a State Trading Organization (STO) building nearby. The security guard, who did not have any credit on his phone and did not know the phone number for emergency services, was seen flagging down an off-duty soldier in uniform who was passing by on his motorcycle, who stopped and called it in at around 06:17 am.

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The footage shared by police does not show when the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) showed up at the scene, but it does show firefighters enter the Housing Ministry compound at around 06:35 am.

The police explained that firefighters were initially unable to find any flames despite the smoke, before eventually finding burning wires inside the ceiling at around 07:16 am.

Firefighters put out the flames, but discovered more fires burning inside the ceiling throughout the building, at which point they began evacuating people from the building.

The police said that firefighters were unable to completely put out the multiple fires, leading to it spreading.

Firefighters managed to control the fire at 12:45 pm, and completely put it out at 03:30 pm.

Showing the footage, Head of Major Crimes Investigation, Superintendent of Police Abdulla Rasheed disclosed the location of all CCTV cameras around the buildings, and explained that it was impossible for anyone to enter the area without getting caught on cameras.

Abdulla Rasheed said that no one except for ministry staff had entered the block of buildings between 04:00 pm and 12:00 am the previous day. He said that two security guards had locked the Housing Ministry office at 12:40 am, and that the first person to report to work on the day of the fire was a custodial worker who arrived at 06:01 am, but did not enter the location where the fire originated from.

The massive fire led to loss of important documents, including those related to housing.

The failure to disclose timely information regarding the fire spurred speculations, including allegations of arson.

However, the police have said there was no evidence of arson, and have ruled the cause of the fire as an electric short circuit.