Male: Fourteen people, including 11 passengers, escaped unhurt when a Maldivian seaplane met with an accident while landing, according to media reports on Monday.
The accident took place on Sunday afternoon when the Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA) seaplane that travelled from Baa atoll Seaside Finolhu resort to Westin Maldives Miriandhoo in the same island sustained damage to its right-wing float while landing, news portal edition.mv reported.
The Civil Aviation Authority said 11 passengers and three crew were aboard the plane, sun.mv news portal reported.
The CIA, which has started an investigation into the accident, said no one was injured in the accident despite the seaplane being damaged.
A viral video on social media shows the seaplane taking in water as a result of the accident.
TMA, which boasts the largest seaplane fleet in the world flies a total of 65 seaplanes, the Sun.mv reported.
The Maldives consists of 1,190 coral islands grouped in a double chain of 27 atolls situated in the Indian Ocean. The country covers an area of approximately 90,000 square kilometres, of which only 298 square kilometres is dry land.
Since tourism is the country's main forex earner, seaplanes are used to ferry tourists who arrive at the Male airport to the resorts, mostly South and North Atoll of the Maldives.
Published 10 June 2024, 13:55 IST