Sapugaskanda gas leakage - residents need not panic

by Jayampathy Jayasinghe

Prompt action was taken to halt the spread of noxious gas leaking into the atmosphere on Friday around 7.30 p.m. and residents in the vicinity of the Sapugaskanda refinery need not entertain any fears due to the leakage. No harm has been caused to the environment, a spokesman for the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) said.

He said steps have been taken to supply aviation fuel without any interruption. Minister of Petroleum Resources Susil Premajayantha said that an inquiry into the incident will be launched soon to ascertain the cause of the accident. The post-mortem examination on the two CPC employees who died due to the noxious fumes while repairing the pipeline at the aviation fuel section at Sapugaskanda was held and their bodies were handed over to their families.

Sapugaskanda police have launched an investigation on the incident, Police Media Spokesman SSP Prishantha Jayakody told the Sunday Observer.

The accident occurred around 4.45 p.m on Friday when noxious fumes leaked from a loose valve while the repair was in progress.

Seven other workmen who inhaled the poisonous gas were admitted to the Ragama, Kiribathgoda and the Colombo National Hospital. A worker who was admitted to the Kiribathgoda hospital died on admission.

He was identified as Dharmasiri Perera (57), an employee of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, a resident of Batalandawatte Makola South.

Of the other seven workers who were admitted to the Colombo National Hospital, one died on admission to hospital on Friday.

He was identified as W.A. Wilbert (57), a resident of Makolawatte South.

A CPC spokesman said that steps would be taken to provide relief to those who were injured following the accident. Minister Premajayantha conveyed his condolences to the families of the bereaved and instructed CPC officials to look into the welfare of those receiving treatment at hospitals.