A chemical factory fire on Kandana Wood Thotapula Road resulted in respiratory difficulties for 89 school students due to the inhalation of leaked chemicals stemming from the fire. These affected students were promptly admitted to Ragama Teaching Hospital for immediate medical attention.
Dr. Liyanage Pathirana, the hospital’s Director, clarified that the condition of the admitted students is stable, and they have received appropriate medical care. Encouragingly, their health has demonstrated improvement. The majority of the affected students are female, with a minor fraction comprising of 3 male students. Notably, St. Sebastian’s Girls’ College, situated in proximity to the factory, reported a higher number of students falling ill due to the incident.
However, The factory’s accountant, trapped in the fire lost his life during this incident.
As the flames escalated, collaborative efforts between the police, Gampaha and Negombo fire fighting units, as well as the Navy fire fighting unit, were mobilized to contain the fire’s spread.
The accountant, aged around 50 and was a residece of in Ganemulla.
Ongoing investigations aim to uncover the cause of the fire.
