Fire destroys boat factory

Rafik Jalaldeen

PEPILIYANA: A fibreglass boat factory in Pepiliyana, Boralasgamuwa was completely gutted after a major fire engulfed it in the wee hours of yesterday.

The factory building and its chemicals warehouse were completely destroyed in the fire, causing damage running into millions of rupees.

The fire had broken out yesterday around 2.45 a.m., Boralasgamuwa OIC S.I.C. Jayanath said. "Five employees were inside the factory but they all managed to escape without any injuries," OIC Jayanath added.

Firefighters from Colombo and Dehiwela-Mount Lavinia controlled the fire with the help of the Air Force, the OIC said.

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. "We are unable to enter the collapsed building to investigate the cause," OIC Jayanath told the Daily News.

"We received a call around 3.10 a.m. on Monday asking for assistance to control a fire at a Pepiliyana fibreglass boat company and we deployed three fire engines with 36 firefighters," a spokesman for the Colombo Fire Brigade said.

Total losses cannot be estimated right now, the OIC said. The boat manufacturer was identified as U.S.S Service Company.