00:00 In the Maldives, last Saturday, that is on January 20, a tragic incident unfolded as
00:09 a 14-year-old boy lost his life.
00:12 Reports from Maldivian media suggest that the unfortunate event occurred when President
00:16 Mohammad Mizu allegedly denied approval for the use of the Dorya aircraft provided by
00:21 India to airlift the boy.
00:24 The young victim, battling a brain tumour and having suffered a stroke, urgently needed
00:29 an air ambulance to transport him from his residence in Ghaf Ali Villinglai to the capital
00:34 city Malé as his health deteriorated.
00:37 According to Maldivian media, the family alleges that the authorities failed to arrange medical
00:42 evacuation promptly.
00:44 "We called Island Aviation to get him to Malé immediately after the stroke, but they did
00:49 not answer our calls.
00:50 They answered the phone at 8.30 am on Thursday.
00:53 The solution is to have an air ambulance for such cases,"
00:57 Maldivian media, Adhado, quoted the boy's father as saying.
01:01 Commenting on the death of the boy, Maldivian MP Mikael Nasim said, "People shouldn't have
01:07 to pay with their lives to satisfy President's animosity towards India."
01:12 Tragically, the boy's arrival in Malé was delayed by 16 hours.
01:17 Despite the emergency evacuation request made, the Asanda Company Limited, responsible for
01:22 handling the request, stated that they promptly initiated the evacuation process.
01:26 However, an unforeseen technical issue with the flight arose at the last moment, disrupting
01:32 the planned diversion.
01:33 It is important to note that this incident unfolds against the backdrop of strained diplomatic
01:38 relations between India and the Maldives.
01:42 Recent derogatory comments made by Maldivian Minister towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi
01:47 have contributed to the deterioration of these ties.
01:50 [music]
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