Four people, including the manager, were burnt to death and four others were seriously injured in an explosion in a gas tank at a petrol shead in Kurunegala last night, police said.
The incident occurred at around 11.00 pm, when a lorry arrived at the petrol station to refill LP gas.
Initial reports indicate that one of the two gas tanks containing about 6,000 litres of gas at the site exploded during the filling process, setting the area on fire. Police suspect that the explosion may have been caused by an untrained employee mishandling the gas transfer procedure.
Emergency teams from the Kurunegala Municipal Council Fire Department, Kurunegala Police and the Sri Lanka Army immediately arrived at the scene and spent nearly two hours trying to douse the fire.
Firefighters were able to secure the second gas tank, preventing further destruction. The fire was completely extinguished about 2 1/2 hours after the explosion, and the charred bodies of the victims were reportedly found.