In a combined effort, the military and firefighters attempted to frantically douse the fire at the Salawa Army Camp’s armoury in Kosgama, amidst continuing explosions, while people living within a six kilometer radius of the camp were ordered to immediately evacuate their homes.
There was a severe traffic block on the Colombo – Avissawella Road, while a section of the road was closed off as a precautionary measure due to the explosions from the armoury, and fear of debris falling on to the road.
The military and the firefighters were taking every effort to ensure the fire doesn’t spread further.
The reason for the fire is still not known, and there is still no information on the casualties from the incident.
An eyewitness said that the people around the area were continuing to hear huge explosions and fire balls erupting from the camp, despite it being several hours since the fire started, while the Air Force said that a B200 Aircraft has been deployed for observational purposes.
A highly placed military expert said that former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga should take full responsibility for this incident, as the armoury was established in Kosgama on her orders, when she was the defence minister, despite strong protests against her decision. The establishment of the armoury at Kosgama was deemed as a move against the law as well as against certain standards.
“However, without heeding advice, she went ahead and established the armoury in this residential area and this is the result today. It could have resulted in a much bigger disaster if not for the military and firefighters,” the expert said.
The expert noted that even though it’s been some 18 years since the armoury was established, the residents of the area never pressured the authorities to shift the armoury out of the area. “Other than the military and the politicians, no one else knew the extent of the armoury and how much ammunition it carried, hence people were indifferent to it, as they did not realize the gravity of it until today,” the expert said.
It is believed that the armoury had comprised some 600 container loads of explosives.
Sagar / June 6, 2016
Now, can any body rejects the rationality of asking to remove army camps from public area in north east?
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Lanka Watch / June 6, 2016
Sagar – On the contrary, some bright spark in the govt. may suggest
that the armoury store is moved to a place in N/E as this area has become the dumping grounds of Govt. waste. There is a move to revive the cement factory in KKS,Paranthan Chemical factory in Paranthan and two not one coal plants in the East, which will all cost environmental
hazards to the people of N/E on the long run and no one cares as long
as the people are given employment to satisfy the IC, irrespective of the consequences.
TNA,NPC and the people of N/E kept reminding the govt. to move army camps away from densely populated areas as every camp is bound to have ammunition dumps and reduce the forces strength to a required level but these cries fell on deaf years and this unfortunate incident at Kosgama, may wake them up.
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Nallasamy - Talawakella / June 7, 2016
History Repeat itself! now the Sinhalese are realizing and experiencing these heavy weapons made havoc in the North & East killing thousands innocent Tamil civilians for the past 30 years.
1. Sinhalese are getting killed by their own bombs stored underground to massacre the Tamils in the North and East
2. Sinhalese are getting displaced as refugees to other areas.
3. houses are destroyed by their own bombs meant for the Tamils living in the North and East.
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Oma Yang / June 6, 2016
What were the so called intellectuals of the Army doing for 18 years. Rather than waiting for S#!t to hit the fan, you guys could worked on relocating this Ammo Dump. As always, there is one idiot who comes out with the I TOLD YOU SO line. Infact why should people and politicians pressurise you to move your a$$, you guys are in the army and paid to think as well, not point and shoot.
Probably we can use the White Elephant of an Airport in Hambantota for this purpose.
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anotherbuddhist / June 6, 2016
Walking dead = all Sri Lankans. LTTE and supporting ‘diaspora’ are just patsies to USA. So are Arjuna Mahendren and Nazir Ashamed. All are being used and will soon be spit out by USA when their use by date is up. Sri Lanka another Libya, Syria, Iraq ….take your pick idiots before you die!
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Socratis / June 7, 2016
anotherbuddhist!
You are totally immature Buddhist, you should be ashamed to be a Buddhist to suggest like this.
Why don’t you see this is ‘KARMA’ is teaching repeatedly to people like you. If you see with your real eye then you will certainly understand how the people in North & East suffered during the protracted war. Do not mistake, I am n0t from North or East.
Why can’t you wake up and talk some sense.
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upi / June 8, 2016
Wishful thinking of an IDIOT
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anotherbuddhist / June 6, 2016
Walking dead = all Sri Lankans. LTTE and supporting ‘diaspora’ are just patsies to USA. So are Arjuna Mahendren and Nazir Ahamed. All are being used and will soon be spit out by USA when their use by date is up. Sri Lanka another Libya, Syria, Iraq ….take your pick idiots before you die!
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Native Vedda / June 7, 2016
anotherbuddhist
What is the point if you have one?
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okkomaekai / June 6, 2016
CBK was President a decade + and this is typical mud throwing..in a country where long SWRD,Sirima,JR are all blamed without fixing wrongs..just carry on with our blame culture.
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thondamanny / June 6, 2016
Arab Spring or spiring?
WMD and invaded Iraq and Saddam toppled.
Then moved to pour in troops to Afganistan………….
Arab spring commenced from Tunisia, moved to Egypt & then to Libya, Syria and turned to Sri Lanka.
What next ? Voice of South Asia matle with a pair of horns placed on Sirisena at G 7……………….
First the Bond Fiascos, then the drought, the farmers, the rains, land slides, floods, hotel opening fire and largest ammunition dumps (total 03 out of five ) ablaze. Fortunately 02 had been moved out by the last regime earlier.
Whats next? A tongue lashing by China followed by a Gun Salute?
We are playing with dragon Fire.
others were in process but no action
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Native Vedda / June 6, 2016
thondamanny
“Arab Spring or spiring?”
It could be spring onion.
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Pacs / June 6, 2016
The comments here mainly focus on blaming CBK and defending CBK. Why do not focus on dealing with the situation. In the north in the past When there was an explosion people on the area ran for life. The houses surrounding were looted. A few burnt. Obviously the forces were present at the circumstances. A few bad guys was enough to spoil the good efforts.
In Gosgama who is going to be the revenge victim. Where will the outburst of anger and emotions rest? What rumors will unfold to contain the anger. The think tank to find way to convert it for political profit
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Sapumal / June 6, 2016
We must not stop this blame game. There may be reasons to do that at that time. But it was not solely on her decision. It was military hierarchy at that time who was responsible for this establishment.At that time gen. Ratwatte was the deputy minister of defense. CBK just nod her head for the decisions. However, it is time to look back and restructure defenses and minimize all these unnecessary risks for better future. It can happen in any where if there is no proper security and health & safety measures in place. What we have to do is to follow modern day training procedures and safety methods as soon as possible.
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ali hora / June 6, 2016
[Edited out]
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Analyst / June 6, 2016
@alihora. Congratulations!!
Edited out
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bernardkdasa / June 6, 2016
This is the result of side lining capable officers when promoting high ranking officers which is being done on the basis of the school person studied and not based on suitability
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Sunil / June 6, 2016
Hope this Fire at the Army camp had nothing to do with the Arrest of Basil Rajapaksa. If so it’s a bad situation for the nation. Government has to take action against the Rajapaksas fast and prevent them from destabilizing the nation.
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KA Sumanasekera / June 7, 2016
Yahapalana PM Batalanada Ranil must be ecstatic..
Whether the Commander in Chief likes it or not, now Batalanada can promise the Bedouin Prince and the US, that he will remove all Army Camps from the North for Health & Safety reasons.
That promise will come before the Bedouin Prince gives his Oral to Mangalan , Diaspora and the West.
And there will be nothing that the Commander in Chief can do about it.
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Sri lanka back to native veda / June 7, 2016
what kind of a nonsense is this ? what were you doing for all these years after she stepped down ? were you with the amuday climbing coconut trees , Now come on what a stupid accusation and when will Sri Lankan men learn to be man enough to accept responsibilities without always blaming the women women for ,aiyo sami –
it is more than ten years since she stepped down , why did not the People in-charge get the past regime and the present regime and the military officials to remove it ?
This is the problem with Sri Lanka , we are not going to get anywhere ,because we like to blame someone for failing our duty , and most of the time we like to blame the superiors because we are a people who simply have no ethics when it comes to work responsibility, very much like the Moslmans .. if they slip and fall it is Israel , if their own ideologies drive them to terrorism it is a Israel conspiracy .
Like Burma and Sri lankan Monks , if the rich and the politicians in the community fail to take care of their people it is a Muslim terrorist conspiracy .
Keep believing in this way and some day The Native Vedas may have a hope of regaining their rightful land.
And we all can simply start singing a new national Anthem ..
Oye Ojaye –
Oye Ojaye
and who Knows – Our CT Native Veda with his Amude may even run for President then .
Oye Ojaye –
Oye Ojaye
Oye Ojaye –
Oye Ojaye
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KA Sumanasekera / June 7, 2016
Poor thing.. One of our smart ass bloggers asked whether Whisky Madam is paralysed.
The Madam was so pissed off that she took the next available BA Flight to BIA.
And even attended a meeting the next day.
To announce that she is not Paralysed . But most importantly to declare that she is leaving the Government if Gota gets any position whether it is No 1 or No 2 .
This is mind boggling.
Gota is not even an MP because Yahapalana banned him.
Batalanda’s UNP CID is trying every which way to extract a confession from even an ex DIG to nail Gota and send him to jail for abduction of Ekaneligoda and the murder of Thajudeen.
These are serious charges which can put Gota in a place where he can’t even do No I and No 2 in privacy and away from mangalan’s mates. let alone becoming a No ! or 2..
And the mere mention of Gota coming in to Politics has frightened the crap out of Whisky Madam?.
Why?.
Is the Madam on to something which the Yahapalana suckers are not up to speed with ?.
Whiskey Madam doesn’t hang out with our Dalits or even our average Sinhala Buddhists and their Monks….. Right?..
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Ado mame sando / June 7, 2016
If he is banda ,she is nanda ,oh shut up your face ,Sumana , kate wahoiyo , mihi harakea ……….. shutting mouthing buffalo cow
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derril / June 10, 2016
people in colombo did not know the real blasting of booms and how to doge from bullets .This kosgama salawa incident have acknowledged all of them to face
a war situation . We should thank to the government to providing good training
to normal innocent civilians including people who were suffering on nearby hospitals how to protect them self from booms .This comment can be thrown out but I asked you do you have any other wise thing to do .We have many government
services to cover and protect useless politicians.But are there any service to
plane the protection of normal people from front coming disasters.
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Sinhalese without animal DNA / June 12, 2016
Like the smirk , like ,ya right man
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asanka / June 15, 2016
Its all the same.Wait till something drastic happens and the blame game bigins with ifs and buts
The Army commander aso blames the previous commander.What was he doing in office so long to take concrete steps to remove the Armoury from there.Sending Memos to the defence secretary does not suffice,It has to be forceful and culminative,
God help us if this commander was there leading the war
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