Minister Mohamed Shareef says the blast occurred Monday morning as the boat reached the main jetty in the capital of Male.
Advertisement
President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom and First Lady Fathimath Ibrahim were travelling to Male from Ibrahim Nasir worldwide Airport (INIA), which is located on the nearby island of Hulhule.
The president is seen leaning towards his injured spouse to help her, but his security detail quickly moved to transfer him to the accompanying police speedboat.
Maldives President Abdulla Yameen was unhurt in a blast on his speedboat on Monday as it approached Male, the capital of the Indian Ocean archipelago, a senior aide has reported.
He said: “The right door of the boat fell on the jetty and there was heavy smoke”.
An investigations had been launched into the explosion to identify if it was a deliberate attempt on the life of the president.
Ahmed Hamdhoon, a local journalist who witnessed what happened, said he heard a huge blast as soon as the boat docked. “The president is unhurt, but the first lady was slightly injured”, Mohamed Hussain Shareef, minister at the president’s office, told Reuters. “The investigating team will have a look at this footage in order to see what exactly happened”.
“We don’t know if the explosion was from explosives or the inboard engine”, Shareef added.
Advertisement
Four people receiving treatment have been released while the rest are still in hospital with one in the ICU.
