2nd Lead (Update)

Major fire at Sri Lanka govt. press

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 June 2004, 13:27 GMT]
A major fire broke out at the Sri Lanka Government Printers in Colombo Saturday evening. Fire fighters were struggling to put out the fire and bring the situation under control, Police said. "We are not sure whether it is sabotage or an accident," a Police source in Colombo said.

The Sri Lankan government's official documents, including special gazette notifications by the President, are published here.

The Government Printer's Department in the Colombo suburb of Borella is considered a sensitive installation and is guarded by the military and Police during power struggles and political crises in Colombo.




TamilNet Library Photo: Sri Lanka Army soldiers take positions in front of Government Press after Sri Lanka's President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, prorogued the sittings of the Parliament on 19 November 2004





Reports from Colombo said that the fire was brought under control at about 8.30 pm with the assistance of more than 50 fire fighters.

Reports also added that the ballot papers destined for the forthcoming Provincial elections were safely retrieved and chemical materials kept in the storage were destroyed by the fire.