Fire Destroys Villas at Top-Rated Maldives Property
A fire broke out at one of the Maldive's top rated hotels this past Wednesday. The Telegraph is reporting that a fire destroyed seven luxury villas at Gili Lankanfushi Resort. Gili Lankanfushi is a popular resort located on the North Male Atoll. The resort features just 45 overwater villas and is currently ranked as the top hotel in all of the Maldives, according to Trip Advisor. The Gili Lankanfushi overwater villas start at $3800 USD per night, while some villas cost more than $5,000 USD per night. The fire has forced the resort to close and all guests to relocate to other hotels and resorts.
No one was injured when the fire hit the island resort on Wednesday night. However, guests were sent fleeing the 45 overwater villas as the fire tore through the wooden walkways and luxury accommodations. The fire was fueled by unusually strong winds. The strong winds also helped the fire to jump from the overwater villas onto the island, destroying a restaurant at the resort.
The fire took firefighters more than six hours to extinguish, partly due to the strong winds. While the fire was extinguished and no one was injured, the resort has confirmed that it will remain closed for the foreseeable future. The resort is contacting guests with future reservations to assist in finding alternate accommodations. The resort has also confirmed that it is assisting guests who were on the property at the time of the fire in finding alternate accommodations for the remainder of their stay.
The cause of the fire is not yet known. The Maldives National Defence Force stated that it has dispatched a team to investigate. Gili Lankanfushi management has provided a full press statement regarding the fire. The hotel hopes to open sometime later this year.
H/T: The Telegraph