One dead, 11 injured in Kandy library blaze

By Jayampathy Jayasinghe

One person died and eleven others were critically injured following the fire that gutted the auditorium of the D.S. Senanayake Library last Friday. The fire had erupted around 8.00 p.m. Although the Kandy Fire Brigade was close by the delay in extinguishing the fire had infuriated the crowd present near the library. The public had hurled insults at the firemen who arrived at the scene late, sources said.

Chief Inspector S. Gurusinghe of the Special Investigating Unit probing into the fire said they have questioned several persons who had organised the musical show that evening at the auditorium. Although the cause of the fire is not known, a screen set ablaze is said to have spread the fire engulfing the three-storeyed building. The entire roof of the building had caught fire while several persons were still inside the auditorium, police said.

Several priceless books, manuscripts, and essays dating back to the time of British rule are believed to have perished in the fire. DIG Kandy Nimal Mediweka is directing investigations.