Live NewsFire at factory in Katuwana Industrial Zone

The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) has revealed that the factory in the Katuwana Industrial Zone, Homagama, where a deadly fire broke out, had not renewed its Environmental Protection License after 2024 and had failed to prepare an emergency response plan.

The CEA confirmed that the factory, which began operations in 2010, had not obtained an updated Environmental Protection License since 2024.

According to the CEA, the factory’s failure to meet licensing requirements was linked to several factors, including the storage and use of chemicals such as PVC, which can release hazardous chemical compounds harmful to human health when exposed to fire.

A CEA official said the factory had also failed to submit mandatory documents required for licensing, including noise and air quality assessment reports and a waste disposal management report.

The Central Environmental Authority further stated that the company had not prepared a proper emergency response plan to deal with potential disasters.

Factory management had been repeatedly informed to fulfill the necessary requirements and obtain the Environmental Protection License, with the latest reminder issued on July 2, officials said.

The revelations were made after a major fire at a safety helmet manufacturing factory in the Katuwana Industrial Zone, Homagama, which claimed the lives of five people.

More than 80 employees were reportedly inside the factory when the fire broke out at around 9:50 a.m. 

The fire quickly spread through the facility, sending thick black smoke across the surrounding area.

Firefighting units from the Colombo, Kotte, and Dehiwala–Mount Lavinia Municipal Councils, along with the Horana Urban Council and the Sri Lanka Air Force, were deployed to battle the flames. Firefighters brought the blaze under control after several hours of operations.

Preliminary police investigations have indicated that an electrical leak from a fan used to cool the factory’s interior may have caused the fire.

Authorities also found that large quantities of PVC and other chemicals used in the manufacture of safety helmets had been stored inside the factory at the time of the incident.

Crime scene officers and Homagama Acting Magistrate Roshan Kuruppuarachchi later inspected the site. 

The Acting Magistrate and police officers accessed the upper floor of the factory, where the victims were found, using a boom truck.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Labour Mahinda Jayasinghe has instructed Labour Department officials to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the incident and submit a report.

The investigation will focus on the cause of the fire, the factory’s fire safety and occupational health standards, employee safety measures, and emergency evacuation procedures.

The Deputy Minister of Labour has instructed ministry officials to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the fire that occurred in a factory at Katuwana, Homagama, which claimed the lives of five individuals.

The Deputy Minister has further directed officials to submit a detailed report on the incident without delay, according to the Ministry of Labour.

Deputy Minister Mahinda Jayasinghe expressed his deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and wished a speedy recovery to those injured in the incident.

The Deputy Minister has instructed that the investigation comprehensively examine the cause and origin of the fire, the factory’s compliance with occupational safety and fire protection standards, the adequacy of safety facilities provided for employees, and the availability and effectiveness of emergency evacuation procedures.

He has also directed Commissioner General of Labour, Nadika Wataliyadda to investigate whether the factory had complied with the provisions of the Factories Ordinance and other relevant occupational safety regulations, and to determine whether any acts of negligence or failures in responsibility contributed to the incident, the Ministry said.

In addition, Deputy Minister Mahinda Jayasinghe has instructed the Department of Labour to intensify inspections of workplaces involving hazardous and high-risk occupations, with particular attention to ensuring the occupational safety and health of workers and strengthening preventive measures against similar incidents in the future.

Five individuals have died after a fire broke out at a helmet manufacturing factory located in the Katuwana Industrial Zone in Homagama earlier today (21), according to the Homagama Police.

The fire has been brought under control, while rescue operations are continuing to determine whether any individuals remain trapped inside the building.

At the time of the incident, more than 80 employees were reportedly inside the factory, and search operations are underway to establish whether any of them are still trapped.

So far, five bodies have been recovered from the factory, which was engulfed in flames, police said.

Sri Lanka Police stated that the five individuals who died in the fire that broke out at a helmet manufacturing factory in the Katuwana Industrial Zone in Homagama had sustained severe burn injuries.

The Incident Officer of the Kotte Fire Department, who was the first firefighter to arrive at the scene, said the fire broke out at around 9:45 a.m. today (21) and subsequently spread throughout the three-storey building.

Although initial reports indicated that three individuals had been trapped in the blaze, the Chief Commanding Officer told Ada Derana that two more victims, who had sustained fatal burn injuries, were later discovered during search operations, bringing the death toll to five.

The officer further stated that three of the victims had been burned beyond recognition.

He added that the rapid spread of the fire made it difficult for firefighters to reach the areas where the victims were trapped.

Six fire engines were deployed to contain the blaze, and the Homagama Police confirmed that the fire has now been completely extinguished.

Meanwhile, a woman who sustained injuries in the fire has been admitted to hospital.

Police said investigations are currently underway to determine the cause of the fire.  

Five individuals have reportedly died after a fire broke out at a helmet manufacturing factory located in the Katuwana Industrial Zone in Homagama, earlier today (21), according to Homagama Police.

The fire is currently being brought under control, while rescue operations are continuing to locate anyone who may have been trapped inside.

At the time of the incident, more than 80 employees were reportedly inside the factory, and search operations are underway to determine whether any of them remain trapped.

So far, five bodies have been recovered from the factory which is engulfed in flames, police said.

A fire has reportedly broken out at a helmet manufacturing factory located in the Katuwana Industrial Zone in Homagama, earlier today (21).  

Residents said the area has been engulfed in thick black smoke due to the fire.

Police stated that the blaze is continuing to spread.

A firefighting unit from the Kotte Municipal Council is being deployed to bring the fire under control.