A team of Indian experts who arrived in the Maldives to investigate the fire that destroyed buildings housing three ministries has left after two days.

The team arrived on December 20 and departed on December 22, after working with the Maldives police, MPS said.

Police have not explained why the team left so soon or provided any updates on the investigation.

When the Indian team arrived, two of the affected buildings and the surrounding area had already been cleared. The government has faced criticism for initiating cleanup operations before the investigation was completed.

The fire initially broke out on the morning of December 12 in the Green Building of the Environment Ministry, according to official reports. However, videos shared by the public suggest the first fire started in the tin building that housed the other two ministries.

The cause of the fire remains unknown, according to police.

The Housing Ministry, Construction Ministry, and Environment Ministry buildings were completely destroyed. Some critical documents and servers stored in these buildings could not be salvaged.

The services of these ministries have been temporarily relocated to Dharubaaruge. President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has announced plans to merge the Housing and Construction Ministries today.