Kosgama inferno: Army's loss more than Rs. 5 billion

Army chief says stocks of multi-barrel-rocket ammunition were to be resold to suppliers Looters on the rampage; damaged houses and shops robbed

The devastating fire at their Central Armoury in Kosgama last Sunday has caused a loss of five billion rupees or more, Army Commander Chrisanthe de Silva said yesterday.

“While the reconstruction of the installations has begum,” he told the Sunday Times “the premises will no longer be used to store ammunition.” Stocks that have remained are now being moved out to areas that are not heavily built up civilian locations, Lt. Gen. de Silva said.

His remarks came as the Government Valuers yesterday began costing the damage caused to the civilian sector. Their work will continue today. “Some 650 houses have been completely or partially destroyed. This is besides shops and other buildings,” Colombo's District Secretary Sunil Kannangara told the Sunday Times.

One of the main problems arising out of the fire is looting. Sabaragamuwa's Deputy Inspector General Rohan Dias said so far 28 cases of grave crime where persons had looted goods from shops

and houses had been recorded. One such case was the looting of a restaurant where foreign liquor stocks had been stolen. Police have increased patrol in the Salawa (Kosgama) area to prevent similar incidents. Some1,190 complaints have been recorded until yesterday.

Among the large stock of ammunition destroyed were artillery rounds and multi- barrel rocket ammunition that was to be resold to the supplier after it was found to be redundant, the Army Commander said.

He added: “After I assumed office, I found that there were large quantities of ammunition left. Since there was no use of keeping such large quantities, I proposed that before the period expires the stocks be disposed of and we get fresh stocks with less quantities keeping to the requirements of national security."

He said in April this year the Cabinet of Ministers had given approval for the re-sale at prices lower than what was paid for the purchase.

Lt. Gen. de Silva said some groups were collecting the metal casings of different types of ammunition believing that they had a re-sale value. He said the Police had been told to deal with them.