Afcons workers demonstrate in Gulhifalhu

Workers from Afcons Infrastructure launched a demonstration in K. Gulhifalhu on Saturday morning, a day after a large fire at the company’s accommodation block in the island left scores of workers injured.

Gulhifalhu houses some 800 workers from Afcons, an Indian contractor awarded multiple projects in Maldives, including the Thilamale’ Bridge project.

The fire incident, which took place early Friday, resulted in injuries to 76 workers.

Social media videos show a large crowd of workers gathered in Gulhifalhu in demonstration.

The workers are reportedly concerned that one of the workers, a truck driver, went missing in the fire. Firefighters had searched the scene of the fire in response to the missing persons report, but found no body.

The workers are also reportedly unhappy about irregular payment of wages.

A police spokesperson said the police received reports of Afcons’ workers creating a disturbance in Gulhifalhu at 10:32 am Saturday.

Police are operating at the scene, said the spokesperson.

63 of the workers injured in the fire were taken to Tree Top Hospital in Hulhumale’, and the remaining 13 to Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in Male’. According to police, six of the workers sustained serious injuries.

Afcons states it has provided alternative housing to the victims of the fire.