The explosion behind a house in Elpitiya on Thursday (3) was caused by an unintentional disposal of explosives into a fire set up to destroy garbage.
An investigation revealed that a man in the textile business, along with a servant, was collecting waste and setting it on fire.
According to police, the man previously ran a quarry and was in possession of several explosives used at the time.
Further investigations revealed that the man had mistakenly thrown some of the explosives into the fire, thinking they were waste, and the explosion had occurred as a result.
The house’s owner was admitted to Karapitya Hospital for treatment before being transferred to the Eye Hospital in Colombo.
The explosion severely damaged the back of the house.
During an inspection of the property, Sri Lanka discovered several explosives in a storage area near the house.
1 kg of gunpowder, 33.4 kg of ammonium nitrate, 60 gelignite sticks, 124 detonators, and 37 wire cords were among the items.
Elpitiya Police is conducting additional investigations.
