Threats given to vacate the welfare camp. Displaced people in intricacy

The welfare camp located at Udupitti central sheltering the displaced people from Waligamam north, are threatened by the respective land owners was said.

The people displaced from Waligamam north in year 1990 were sheltered in the said welfare camps. Currently 51 persons from 16 families are living.

This welfare camp is erected in the private property of a person from Udupitti central.  A non-governmental organization has erected semi-permanent dwellings for the displaced people.

The land owners who had come from abroad, have threatened the people to vacate from their premises   was said.

Relatives from abroad visited on Friday to the said area attempted to restore their house. This caused discrepancy amidst the people living at the welfare center and the land owner.

Concerning this those residing at the welfare center made a complaint to the Valvettithurai police station.

Meanwhile the lands owned by people living in the welfare center, is in the control of military, hence action had been taken to transfer this people to another locality for which activities are processed by the divisional secretariat was said.

Sunday , 26 May 2013

CID called in to probe Friday’s massive blaze at LCL Warehouse

Imports worth millions of rupees up in smoke?

By Franklin R. Satyapalan-May 25, 2013

The CID had been called in to probe Friday’s blaze at the LCL Warehouse at the Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), which caused extensive damage and completely destroyed the imported cargo of over 300 consignees worth hundreds of million rupees, officials said.

"The total loss suffered as a result of the fire has still not been estimated, but goods and property running into millions of rupees have gone up in smoke", they said.

SLPA’s Deputy Chief Manager of Communications and Public Relations, Nalin Aponso said yesterday that the CID, Colombo Crime Division and several teams of policemen were at the scene of the blaze conducting investigations.

"We are waiting for the arrival of Chief Government Analyst (CGA) Sarath Gunatilleke to carry out investigations to establish the cause of the blaze", he said.

Chief of the Colombo Fire Brigade (CFB) Rohitha Fernando said that he promptly sent his firefighters to the scene after receiving a call around 2.30 am on Friday and found the blaze raging out of control.

"Fortunately, we were in possession of the High Trans Pump (HTP) and our teams were able to control the blaze and prevent the flames from spreading to the other warehouses", he said.

"Naval personnel based at the port along with other Security Forces personnel and the Port Fire Brigade did an excellent job in assisting us with water bowsers to fight the raging blaze ", the fire chief said.

"However, it was not possible to use their fire boat as the warehouse was located at an inaccessible point", he noted.

Asked whether the Naval or Air Force Fire Brigade also joined in efforts to douse the fire, he said that the Air Force Fire Brigade was withdrawn from Colombo sometime ago.

"At the time we withdrew from the scene of the fire, it was still smouldering, which prevented the police and officials from the Government Analyst’s Department from launching an immediate probe", Fernando said.

"We had to wait until 11.30 am on Friday for the heavy blanket of smoke to clear. I will be submitting my official report by next Monday", he said.

The fire was described as the worst observed in the history of the SLPA for over three decades. There were few people around as it was Vesak and the majority of employees were not on duty, port sources said

Aponso said that the LCL warehouse that was gutted was about 200 meters in width and 1500 meters long. Most of the imported cargo in the containers had belonged to different importers. That was why the warehouse was named LCL (Less than one container load) as it held cargo jointly imported by different consignees.

Other SLPA sources said that it would take several days before a proper assessment could be made of the damage caused and the compensation payments to consignees if the consignments were not insured.

Aponso said that a Special Desk had been set up with the Duty Manager of the SLPA contactable to consignees or Clearing House Agents on mobile number 0718-688361 or land phone number 2482361. All data on consignments are computerized to assess the losses.

Media debarred from scene of blaze

The scene of Friday’s blaze at the LCL Warehouse of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) has been declared out-of-bounds to the media.

The media has been disallowed as the area has been cordoned off as investigations continued, an official said. "We want to get on with the probe".