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.