The Somali crewmen admitted at Makunudhu health center. Haveeru MMS 2323
User Photo/ Ali Shaan
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Island Chief Ibrahim Shareef, who earlier referred to the other five crewmen as saying that the man had died three days ago, said he started moving around 10:30 am Tuesday.
“When we took him out for burial, he suddenly started moving. His leg muscles and several other parts of his body were wearing off. He was in a compartment filled with water,” he said.
The man has been taken to the health centre where he is recovering with the other crewmen, Shareef added.
Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) said the doctor at the island’s health centre confirmed the man’s death on Monday.
“An injury on his knee had germs infected. He was in a severe condition. We took the doctor along with us to check whether he was dead or not. The doctor checked him and confirmed that he was dead. I must say that the doctor did not take his responsibility well. We will look into this,” Major Abdu Raheem said.
The man was stuck in a deep compartment of the boat and part of the boat had to be sawed off to remove him, he added.
Shareef said the funeral had to be postponed due to disputes among the islanders over burying him in the island. But the people later agreed, he added.
The boat was found off south of Fenboahuraa, an uninhabited island within close proximity of Makunudhoo around 1.30pm Monday by fishermen on Mofa 264 dhoni.
There were no weapons and “nothing else besides the engine” onboard, MNDF confirmed.
Shareef said the boat left Somalia with 17 people, but tossed out bodies after some died onboard according to the rescued crew.
Police said an investigation is underway.
Earlier MNDF rescued an Iranian fishing boat 75 miles west of Huvadhu Atoll with 20 people onboard on May 16. According to the boat’s captain, seven out of the 20 unidentified crewmen were pirates who hijacked the boat some six months earlier.
On April 27 an abandoned boat suspected to be belonging to Somali pirates was discovered off Laamu Atoll just north of Huvadhu.
In December, fishermen in Addu atoll spotted a similar boat with seven Somalis in distress drifting off Hithadhoo. The crewmen are still in custody at Dhoonidhoo detention and have been interrogated by US Marines, police said.
Source: HNS