A fire broke out at a government official residence on Malalasekara Mawatha in Colombo 7, which was formerly occupied by Parliament member Namal Rajapaksa. The incident occurred shortly after the electricity was restored, following a power cut while renovations were being carried out at the property, which was previously assigned to former MP Janaka Wakumbura.
According to the Kurunduwatta Police, the fire ignited from an air conditioning unit on the upper floor of the two-story house approximately 30 minutes after the electricity was switched back on. The fire department of the Colombo Municipality promptly responded, deploying two fire tenders to the scene, which managed to extinguish the blaze within minutes.
The alarm was raised by a painter working at the residence who noticed the flames and immediately alerted the police. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported, and the fire was contained to the air conditioning unit, which was completely destroyed in the incident. Additionally, no other property was damaged during the fire.
Authorities are currently conducting an investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the fire.
