At least 23 people suffered burn injuries in a massive fire that erupted yesterday morning (27) in a clothing store located at Second Cross Street in Pettah at around 9.30 am.
The injured were admitted to the Colombo National Hospital and six of them were in a critical condition, according to hospital sources.
Seven fire engines from the Colombo Fire Brigade had been dispatched to douse the fire, which they did. Several other shops that were adjacent to the clothing store that caught fire were also damaged in the fire, according to Colombo Fort Police. The cause of the fire was not clear and the Colombo Fort Police have initiated investigations into the incident.
Due to the timely intervention of the Colombo Fire Brigade, Air Force and Police officers, the fire was contained within two hours, failing which there would have been heavy casualties and a lot more damage taking place due to the spread of the fire to the surrounding buildings which was prevented in the nick of time.
Preliminary investigations conducted by the police revealed that the fire started when a spark was thrown into a sari while one of the traders was lighting lamps and burning incense while performing religious rites before opening the store to commence business activities. According to Colombo Fort Police, the fire that broke out on the lower floor spread to the top floor of a six-story building and destroyed almost all the shops there.
It is suspected that millions worth of property have been destroyed based on the preliminary investigations carried out by the Police.
Thirteen fire engines from the Colombo Fire Brigade had been dispatched with 43 fire extinguishing officers and the fire was brought under control and doused.
Several other shops that were adjacent to the clothing store in the building that caught fire were also severely damaged in the fire, according to the police.
The shopping complex along with the shop where the fire erupted were filled with customers and employees and as a result of the spreading fire and its thick black flames filling the building, they were trapped in the upper floors unable to come down and the firemen worked swiftly to bring them down to safety using special equipment.
Dr. Indika Jagoda, the Director of the Emergency Unit of the National Hospital, said that the patients who were admitted due to this fire were between the ages of 18 and 25 and due to prompt admission to the hospital, further complications have been prevented and minimized.
The Pettah Police is conducting further investigations into the incident.
Varuna Dayaratne