Firefighters rescue sinking RTL ferry as heavy rain lashes Kulhudhuffushi

Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) firefighters on Saturday rescued a Raajje Transport Link (RTL) ferry boat docked at the Kulhudhuffushi harbor, after it began sinking amid heavy rain over the northern Maldivian city.

The incident was reported to the MNDF Northern Area Command, Kulhudhuffushi Fire Station at around 05:35 am.

Firefighters were immediately deployed to the scene, and managed to control the situation at around 07:50 am.

Photos shared by the MNDF show the ferry partially submerged under water, as firefighters used dewatering pumps to drain the water.

According to the MNDF, the incident took place amid heavy rain over Kulhudhuffushi. The heavy rain flooded the ferry and damaged the silencer.

The incident did not result in any injuries.

On Friday, one person was hospitalized after the engine of a speedboat travelling from Dhuvaafaru to Kandholhudhoo in R. Atoll stalled. He has since been discharged after treatment.

The Maldives has been experiencing torrential rain and thunderstorms over the past few days. The bad weather, especially over northern and central parts of the country, has been attributed to the strengthening of the Southwest Monsoon, locally known as the Hulhangu Monsoon, due to low-pressure areas over the southwest Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, along with a circulation over the east-central Bay of Bengal.

The bad weather is forecasted to last through Saturday.