MALE, Maldives, Sept. 28 (UPI) -- An on-board explosion struck a boat carrying the president of the Maldives and the first lady, who sustained minor injuries, on their return from the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
The cause of the "relatively large blast" was not immediately known. President Abdulla Yameen was not injured, but first lady Fathimath Ibrahim and two others were injured.
The explosion occurred Monday morning as the boat ferrying Yameen's entourage was approaching a dock in Male, the capital of the Maldives. The explosion could be heard "many hundreds of feet away," cabinet minister Mohamed Shareef told BBC News.
"[Police] have not ruled anything out yet. They're doing a thorough investigation here locally and we're not certain at the moment whether it's an accident or a deliberate attempt on the president's life," Shareef said.
Yameen met with the king of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, on Friday before his return to the Maldives. The leaders exchanged ideas on ways to enhance already-favorable diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Saudi Arabia agreed to give the Maldives an $80 million development loan.
