Control of fire at Krish building delayed

Fire fighters struggled to reach the 35th floor of the Krish building in Colombo Fort to control a fire that brokeout there.
A spokesman for Fire Birgade said they faced an issue in controlling the fire due to the height. 

He said they were trying to control the fire by taking water in buckets via the service lift. The officer added  that in Sri Lanka, they do not have sufficient equipment to reach such heights.

He also mentioned that water pressure can reach nearly 10 meters, but since this is the 35th floor, it is more than 100 meters high.
However he expressed confidence that the fire could be brought under control.

Two hours after the fire brokeout only 50 per cent of  the fire was under control. It had spread to the 33rd, 34th, and 35th floor.
'It is not visible from the outside, but it is burning inside', he added.

Workers were removing unnecessary steel bars keeping with a court order, following an incident where steel bars had fallen onto the road in recent days. The court ordered their removal to prevent further hazards.  

The fire started when sparks from  cutting equipment (grinder) ignited wooden material inside the floors, causing the fire to spread.

pix by M.A Pushpa kumara