Defence Ministry to shift Salawa armoury

Promises to rebuild all damaged houses and restore property, investigations begin but cost of damage still unknown

By Shanika Sriyananda

The Defence Ministry is likely to move Sri Lanka’s biggest armoury at Salawa, in Avissawella, to another location for the safety of the residents and have already commenced the search for a location. 

The armoury, in which the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) stored its heavy weapons, caught fire on Sunday evening triggering several explosions, killing a soldier and injuring as many as 45 people.

“The Defence Ministry wants to shift this ammunition dump to ensure the safety of the people living around the camp,” Defence Secretary Karunasena Hettiarachchi told the Daily FT. A fresh location to maintain the large ammunition stocks has not yet been found and several sites are being considered.

The fire was brought under control in the early hours of Monday but the Colombo-Avissawella road will remain closed for the next two days, the Defence Secretary said. He said the Army would carry out an investigation into the incident.

Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayake, who visited the area, told media that the fire, which had started in a store containing small arms, had spread to the other sections in the armoury, resulting in several explosions. The damage is still unknown.

Meanwhile, Ratnayake has ordered the CID to launch an immediate investigation into the causes behind the fire and series of explosions at the armoury. Tri-forces personnel were deployed to control the situation and provide security to the area. A UAV and a B-200 aircraft of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) were used to get a clear assessment of the situation as soldiers and fire-fighters could not reach the location due to explosions.

The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) also issued a warning to residents living in a five km radius to evacuate immediately. However, the residents living in a one km radius have now been asked to return to their houses as the situation was brought under control by midday on Monday.

Desolation reigns at the site of the armoury blast. (Inset) An Army official gestures as Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe together with Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayake takes a tour of the military camp. They were also joined by Joint Opposition MP Dinesh Gunawardena