International Desk: At least 10 people were killed and several others injured when a fire swept through the cramped lodgings of foreign workers in the Maldives capital Male, the fire service said.

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The Maldivian government has not officially disclosed the identity of those killed in the fire. However, the South Asian country's authorities said the dead may have included workers from neighboring countries.

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A top government official from the capital Male told The Hindu that "Maldives police are working to confirm the identities of those killed in the fire."

According to a report by The Hindu, a Maldivian security official said nine Indians and one Bangladeshi were among the dead. Following the incident, Maldivian political parties criticized the government over the living conditions of foreign workers.

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Officials said 10 bodies were recovered from the upper floor of a building destroyed by fire. The ground floor of the building is used as a car repair garage and the fire started from there on Thursday night.

An official of the Maldivian Fire Service said "We have recovered 10 bodies." He also said that it took them about four hours to put out the fire.

Sun News/MR

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