A Bangladeshi kitchen helper is fighting for his life after being seriously injured in an attack by his Nepalese co-worker in a café in Malé City on Tuesday.

The violent altercation, which took place in the kitchen, left both men injured and requiring emergency medical attention. They were rushed to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), where the Bangladeshi worker remains in critical condition in the ICU.

Police have identified the suspect as 24-year-old Siddhartha Gurung, a Nepalese cook. He was arrested and presented before the Criminal Court, which remanded him in custody for five days.

Videos of the incident circulating on social media show the two men wrestling on the kitchen floor, both bleeding, while a third individual intervenes to remove a knife from one of them.

The Maldives Police Service has launched an investigation into the case.