COMMITTEE TO PROBE GAS LEAK DEATHS

Petroleum Minister Susil Premajayantha yesterday appointed a three-member committee to inquire into the sudden death of two Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) employees after a poisonous gas leak at Sapugaskanda on November 16. Preliminary inquiries revealed that the two employees W.A. Wilfred and Dharmasiri Perera – both aged 57 and from Batalandawatta in Makola South had died from complications sequent to the inhalation of poisonous gas when repairing a leak on an aviation fuel pipeline at the Sapugaskanda oil refinery.The committee comprising former Ports and Civil Aviation Ministry Secretary Ranjith De Silva and Moratuwa University’s Chemistry Department Prof. Ajith de Alwis is headed by retired High Court Judge P.K.W. Wijeratne. The committee, which will mainly focus on whether there had been any lapse in adhering to laid-down safety procedures is expected to submit its report with recommendations in three weeks.

“It is an unfortunate incident. We cannot give them back their lives but we will compensate the families of the two employees. The main objective of carrying out an inquiry is to find out how or why it occurred and prevent a repetition of industrial accidents at CPC worksites and ensure the safety of workers,” the minister said.

He said he had instructed the CPC management to promote the two employees posthumously and pay compensation based on their grade. The two families will be al-

It is an unfortunate incident. We cannot give them back their lives but we will compensate the two families

lowed to remain in the houses provided by the CPC and one member of each family will be given employment at the CPC.

The minister commended the employees of the CPC and subsidiary establishments for maintaining a good rapport with the ministry and not resorting to trade union action to resolve their problems. He asked them to continue this healthy relationship between the employees and the management.