Government condemns irresponsible parties in connection with a girl sustaining severe injuries in public

Government has condemned the irresponsible parties in connection with the incident where a little girl sustained serious injuries while walking on the pavement next to a construction site in Male’ City.

Senior government officials have been expressing outrage on the safety procedures of construction sites in the capital city, following the incident. In this regard, Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment Ahmed Mahloof said the incident should not go unnoticed and strict action should be taken on irresponsible parties. He said such incidents should be prevented and the government will pursue the incident seriously.

Meanwhile, Minister of Gender, Family and Social Services Shidhaatha Shareef noted precautionary measures are not followed and safety procedures are not implemented at several construction sites in Male’ City. She said it is not acceptable a juvenile has to be a victim of negligence and assured the government will take all necessary steps to ensure such incidents do not take place.

Furthermore, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has ordered an immediate review of safety procedures and inspection of all construction sites in Malé City so that more stringent measures may be put in place for the safety of workers and the general public. Ministry of National Planning and Infrastructure has stopped issuing permits to conduct any construction in Male’ City.

The Bangladeshi girl, whose parents are doctors working in Maldives, sustained serious injuries and is being treated in Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH). CCTV footage circulated in social media shows a bag of cement falling from a building under construction and striking the girl who was walking on the pavement. The 9-year-old girl was seen collapsing under the weight of the bag. She was immediately taken to IGMH. The hospital had so far informed the girl is in critical condition.