A local magistrate court in the Maldives has issued a public notice seeking information on a man who went missing at sea more than five decades ago, in an effort to legally confirm his status for an ongoing inheritance settlement.
The GA. Gemanafushi Magistrate Court issued the announcement on Thursday, seeking information regarding Hassan Muhammad, originally from Thandirathmaage in GA. Diyadhoo. The court requested anyone with knowledge of whether Hassan is alive or deceased to notify the court within 10 days.
According to details surrounding the case, the half-century-old search was initiated to satisfy legal requirements needed to deliver a verdict on an inheritance matter. Hassan disappeared in 1973 when a vessel carrying several passengers from GA. Diyadhoo to the capital city, Male’, encountered a severe squall and capsized. Multiple people went missing during the maritime tragedy; to this day, neither passengers nor any wreckage from the vessel have ever been recovered.
Diyadhoo, which historically held a sizable population, was officially depopulated in 2009 during the administration of former President Mohamed Nasheed. By the time of the official relocation, only about 20 residents remained on the island. They were subsequently resettled in neighboring islands within Gaafu Alif Atoll—including Gemanafushi, Kondey, and Kolamaafushi—leaving Diyadhoo designated as an uninhabited island.
