Sri Lanka’s Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Dilip Wedaarachchi has visited Hambantota today to inspect an explosion that took place in a multi-day vessel at Hambanthota harbor.
A fisherman has died due to the explosion in the multi-day boat anchored in Hambantota Port. Police said that five more fishermen have been hospitalized following injuries due to the accident.
Preliminary investigations have revealed that the explosion has occurred due to a leaking gas cylinder inside the boat.
The Minister of State inquired from the officials on how the accident happened and reasons for and on actions to prevent such incidents in the future.
Recalling that two years ago he stressed that fire extinguishers should be installed in all fishing vessels as well as at all fishing ports, State Minister Wedaarachchi assured to take measures to remove all obstacles in installing firefighting equipment to ensure the safety of the fishermen and the boats.
Minister Wedaarachchi also visited the injured fishermen at the Hambantota Hospital. He later inspected the damaged vessel and pledged to provide relief to the affected fishermen without delay.
2000, 2016 by LankaPage.com (LLC)