Male’ City Council has warned action will be taken against those responsible for the storage of oil and flammable materials in residential areas of the city.
The city council noted the regulations on usage and storage of flammables formulated by the Ministry of Defence strictly prohibits storage of flammables in residential areas. Therefore, the city council warned action will be taken against companies and individuals who violate the regulations. The city council said the measure was deemed necessary in order to reduce fire hazards in the capital, noting recent fire incidents in the city have cost several millions in damages.
A fire in September last year caused significant damages, burning down 7 residential buildings and several warehouses. Authorities stated storage of chemicals around the epicenter of the fire caused the incident.
Following the fire, the government formulated a regulation on moving and storing chemicals. The regulation on chemical storage requires businesses to get a special permit to import them. Additionally, the storage facilities are required to be located away from residential areas. The storage facilities are also required to display warning labels in addition to meeting certain safety standards.