Ihavandhoo man dies in boat accident

A man died last night after being injured in a collision between a launch and a boat in HA Atoll.

The deceased was identified as Abdul Rasheed Mohamed, 68, who was driving the boat as per HA Ihavandhoo council.

Ihavandhoo council president Ahmed Sobah told Sun that Abdul Rasheed's family was informed of his death by the Ihavandhoo health centre. He said the preparations for the funeral is now underway.

He said there were two people in the boat and four people on the launch at the time of the incident.

Sun learned that Abdul Rashid's son was the other person aboard the boat. However, his condition has not been confirmed.

Sobah said two people in the launch were also injured in the incident and are being treated at the health center.

"[Abdul Rasheed's] head was injured. Then there were various injuries to the people in the launch," he said.

The launch and boat were also seriously damaged in the incident, Sobah said.

The launch belongs to HDh Nellaidhoo and is commonly used to pick up sea cucumbers, he noted.

Sun learned that Abdul Rasheed was a reef fisherman and that it was his main source of income. While he was 68 years old, he was in good health, a  councilor from the island said.

Police said regarding the incident that it occurred at around 10:30 pm when a launch and a boat collided near Huvahandhoo, which is near Ihavandhoo. However, no details have been released about the incident.