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Maldives President Yameen Abdul Gayoom has escaped unhurt from a blast on his speedboat as he returned home after performing a haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
Minister Mohamed Shareef said the blast occurred Monday morning as the boat reached the main jetty in the capital of Male.
Gayoom’s wife Fathimath Ibrahim and an aide suffered minor injuries while a body guard sustained relatively serious injuries, he said.
Shareef said the cause of the blast, thought to have happened in the engine room, was not known. Boating accidents and fires are common in the Indian Ocean archipelago state.

“We are not ruling out anything, whether it is an accident or an attempt on the president’s life,” Shareef said adding that investigators are inspecting the boat and watching video footages of the blast.
The country’s international airport is on a separate island and a short boat trip is needed to reach the capital island.
Ahmed Hamdhoon, a local journalist who was on the jetty to cover Gayoom’s arrival, said he heard a huge blast as soon as the boat docked.
“The right door of the boat fell on the jetty and there was heavy smoke. People were screaming,” he said.
The Maldives, known for its luxurious island resorts, has been rocked by political infighting and disputed elections in recent years, but it is not known for serious political violence such as bomb attacks.
 


Maldives president escapes unhurt from boat explosion; assassination bid ‘not ruled out’

Unidentified injured people are evacuated from Maldives President Yameen Abdul Gayoom's boat in Male on Monday, after an explosion rocked the vessel. Photo: AP

Maldives President Yameen Abdul Gayoom, pictured voting in last year's parliamentary election, was returning from a haj pilgrimage when the blst occurred on his boat on Monday. Photo: AFP

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