Fire fighters play major role in dousing inferno

By Ananth PALAKIDNAR

Twelve fire department vehicles including four fire engines with a contingent of twenty firemen led by Station Officer R.G. Wijesuriya were in the forefront in putting out the fire that raged when the LTTE aircraft on a suicide mission slammed into the twelfth floor of the Inland Revenue Department building on Friday night.

The spokesman for the Fire Department told the Sunday Observer that their station at Darley Road, Maradana was alerted at 9.47 pm on Friday and the firemen rushed to the spot with least delay.

"Four engines, four water bowsers, two sky lifters and two ambulances reached the scene and commenced operations around 9.55 pm.

The ladders on the sky lifters leapt to the spot without any hassle and were able to splash water, to prevent the inferno from spreading to other floors. Meanwhile the ambulance vehicles also sprung into action with firemen evacuating the injured," the spokesman said.

He added with the assistance from SLAF fire crew the fire was brought under control around 12.05 a.m., after battling for two hours.