Maldives president escapes unhurt from speedboat blast

“The president is unhurt, but the first lady was slightly injured”, Mohamed Hussain Shareef, minister at the president’s office, told Reuters news agency.

Boat calamities are typical among the Indian Ocean territory form.

The country’s global airport is on a separate island and a short boat trip is needed to reach the capital island.

Footage aired on local TV channels showed chaotic scenes as Yameen’s staff tried to evacuate the injured from his stricken launch, bobbing on the waves close to a jetty, to a police boat.

Shareef said even though the government is concerned that the fighters may return one day, there is no evidence so far to suggest that Gayoom had been targeted.

Unconfirmed reports suggested the blast, which occurred as the tightly-guarded vessel docked in the capital island Male, came from the engine room below deck. “They’re doing a thorough investigation here locally and we’re not certain at the moment whether it’s an accident or a deliberate attempt on the president’s life”, Shareef said.

The president is unhurt, but the first lady suffered a spinal fracture while presidential secretariat Fathimath Mohamed Solih and bodyguard Abdu Nasir received minor injuries including burns.

Fathimath Ibrahim was evacuated to Male’s main hospital to be treated for back injuries.

He said: “The right door of the boat fell on the jetty and there was heavy smoke. People were screaming”. The president is very particular that the investigation is very professional, speedy and thorough.

Political analysts note that the ongoing crackdown against political dissidents is staining the reputation of the Maldives as a vacation paradise.