Colombo "in flames" again

Meanwhile, attempting to play down Friday morning’s explosions and subsequent fire at a power station, the Sri Lankan government admitted to a major security breach late in the afternoon and said that the incident had been caused by the LTTE.

However, it was an unsuccessful attempt by the LTTE to cause damage to the power station, a government statement declared. “Terrorists have failed in their attempt to destroy the power station,” it said.

Indicating a serious breach of security at the tightly guarded power plant, sources said at least six limpet mine-like timed explosive devices had been attached to the four fuel tanks in the power station and to the pipeline carrying the diesel to the turbines. At least two exploded, while four others failed to go off and were later discovered by bomb disposal squads along with the bag in which they had been brought into the plant.

The barbed wire on the perimeter of the power plant on the side adjoining the river along which it is located, was found broken and it is believed that it is from there the militants entered.

Security was intensified in the capital immediately after the incident and a radio announcement requested residents of the area near the power plant not to venture out unless absolutely necessary. Even though the military spokesman ruled out the LTTE’s hand in the incident, security forces began search operations at once throughout the city.

Many Tamil youth living in the area were arrested and were seen being taken away in a bus, sources said. However, the Defence Ministry insisted the incident was an accident.

“A fire broke out at the Kelanithissa power station in Colombo around 5 am today. A leaking fuel tank has caused this fire. The fire was brought under complete control within about 30 minutes,” a bland statement from the Ministry of Defence announced, not specifying how the leak was caused.

However, security forces sealed off the area at once and the movement of traffic and people was temporarily suspended in the city of Colombo. The Defence Ministry described it as a “precautionary measure”.

Eyewitnesses and an official at the scene confirmed that the fire began when explosive devices planted on two tanks containing diesel went off at about 4.45 am. There were at least 80 employees inside the power station at the time and there was large-scale panic as they ran for safety. The explosives were not powerful and caused only minor leaks in the two tanks, enabling firefighters to douse the blaze within an hour.

“The fire was caused by explosive devices, but we do not know what kind of explosive devices. It looked like they were very small devices. Two diesel tanks had holes close to the bottom plate and there was a running fire which we extinguished,” said chief fire officer J. Kannangara.

Busloads of soldiers and several bomb disposal squads continued to arrive at the power station even after the fire had been put out, to scour the plant for the devices. Commandos and soldiers stood on stand-by outside as the search was being carried out.