Eight (08) female workers from a garment factory in Embilipitiya were admitted to the hospital this morning after inhaling smoke during a fire that broke out at the facility.

According to the Police, the blaze erupted inside a warehouse of the textile factory located near the Nonagama Sudupalam area. 

The affected workers were rushed to the Embilipitiya Base Hospital after suffering from smoke inhalation. 

The Sewanagala fire‑fighting unit was deployed to bring the flames under control. 

Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the fire, which has not yet been established. (Newswire)

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Two suspects connected to a financial fraud in Kilinochchi have been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

The arrest was made in connection with the misappropriation of raw materials valued at nearly Rs. 50 million from a private factory located within the Kilinochchi Police Division between March 18, 2024, and May 29, 2025.

The suspects taken into custody are residents of the Mawanella and Getaheththa areas, aged 27 and 36.

They are scheduled to be produced before the Kilinochchi Magistrate’s Court today (13 Jan), while further investigations are being carried out by the CID. (Newswire)

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A fire broke out this morning (29) at a factory in the Wavulagala area of Horana that produces rubber‑based goods.

Police said the cause of the blaze has not yet been identified.

It is reported that the Horana Fire Brigade, together with local residents and factory workers, are engaged in efforts to bring the fire under control. (Newswire)

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The Kalutara Crimes Division has uncovered a crystal methamphetamine (ICE) production factory operated at an apartment complex in Hambantota. 

During the raid, the Police officials found equipment and chemicals suspected to be used for the production of ICE and a vehicle parked at the resort, believed to have been used for transporting the drugs.

Authorities discovered 14 cans containing a total of 52 litres of chemicals suspected to be used in the manufacture of ICE, along with various other equipment believed to be part of the drug production process.

A 20-year-old resident of Wellawaya has been arrested in connection with the incident and has been identified as an associate of underworld figure Suranga, who was recently apprehended. 

The suspect is due to be produced before the Panadura Magistrate’s Court today.

This is the latest ICE production factory found by the authorities, following the recent arrest of five underworld figures in Indonesia. 

Previously, the Police found such ICE production factories in Nuwara Eliya, Middeniya, Netolipitiya and Kandana. (Newswire)

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A fire had erupted at a fireworks factory in Katugastota in the Kandy District this morning. 

According to reports, a 62-year-old woman had sustained injuries in the incident and has been hospitalised.

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, while the factory has been completely damaged due to the fire.

Firefighters have worked to douse the fire. (Newswire)

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A factory with a workforce of 80 employees is set to shut down due to the vehicle modification removal programme by the Police under the Government’s ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ national programme.

Located in Bandaragama, the factory manufactures modification accessories for three-wheelers, under a government-approved licence. 

However, the owner of the factory has decided to close the factory due to the impact of the modification removal programme under the ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ project by the Police. 

Speaking to the media, the owner of the factory said he had conducted his business after receiving the approval of the Ministry of Industries and that the designs of all the modification accessories manufactured are approved by the ministry. 

Questioning why the government had approved the business, the owner further revealed that he had sent written petitions to several government departments in this regard, but is yet to receive a response. 

Stating that his business has completely been halted due to the government’s new programme, he said he has been forced to shut down his factory, resulting in the loss of jobs for his 80 factory workers. (Newswire)

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Negotiations have taken place with the French government to open two more liquid milk factories, in addition to the existing six in Sri Lanka, State Minister for Livestock Development, D.B. Herath announced. 

The State Minister noted that the Department of Agriculture is currently implementing measures to empower small and medium-scale farmers to produce an excess of liquid milk required by the country.

He made the remarks during a Press conference at the Presidential Media Centre today (Jan 09).

State Minister DB Herath further said the country currently faces a deficit in the production of liquid milk, meeting only 40% of the national requirement. 

To fulfil the remaining 60%, an expenditure of over Rs. 34 billion is incurred in importing it. Despite the annual requirement being 750 million litres of milk, the domestic production stands at only 350 million litres.

In response to this challenge, the Department of Agriculture has initiated measures to bolster small and medium-scale farmers for surplus liquid milk production, he said.

Speaking further, the State Minister said that as part of the liquid milk promotion program, six factories have been established with assistance from France and that these factories are strategically located in Wariyapola, Wennappuwa, Attanagalla, Colombo and Polonnaruwa.

A liquid milk factory had been inaugurated in the Nawalapitiya area and the French Government has arranged to provide assistance of Rs. 60 million for the import of milk processing equipment required for this factory and the training of local technicians. 

The Nawalapitiya Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society (MPCS) has invested Rs. 60 million in constructing the necessary facilities such as buildings and this factory has a daily production capacity of 5000 litres of milk for consumption, he said.

The State Minister also noted that additionally, the French Government has been informed about plans to initiate similar factories in the Jaffna and Kilinochchi areas. 

The current year’s budget includes an allocation of Rs. 250 million, while a specific provision of Rs. 200 million has been earmarked for the development of the goat farming industry, he said.

State Minister DB Herath added that directives have been issued to the Department of Animal Production and Health to offer animal feed imported from foreign countries to farmers at a fair price, with tariff concessions. (NewsWire)

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Two garment factories that exported their products only to the American market had to be closed recently due to the American and Chinese crises. About 2500 people who were making a living lost their jobs due to this. The value of the machinery of these factories located in the Koggala Investment Processing Zone is hundreds of millions of US dollars.

On the intervention of the Sri Lanka Board of Investment, Aitken Spence, a pioneering company in this country, has joined forces to re-establish these two factories. Accordingly, steps were taken to re-operate these two factories under Ace Apparels. For this, the company is investing more than 3.6 million US dollars in the first phase.

The signing of the relevant agreement was done on July 28 by Dinesh Weerakkoddy Chairman of the Sri Lanka Board of Investment, and Mr. Dr. Rohan Fernando Director, on behalf of Aitken Spence Company.

Mr. Lushan Perera, the company’s chief executive officer, says that this factory, which is operating under a new vision, will generate substantial new job opportunities, and it will expand further. He also said that steps have been taken to start the production process within 2 months.

Speaking further, Mr. Perera said that given the ongoing global economic crisis, his company’s hope is to focus on competitive products and find new markets, and for that, he will pay more attention to the markets of emerging Asian countries such as India, China, Indonesia, and Japan.

Mr. Priyanka Ranatunga, director of the Koggale Investment Processing Zone of Sri Lanka Board of Investments, said that at present, a workforce of about 11,000 in the Koggala region is responsible for earning foreign exchange, and with the opening of new factories, that number may increase to 13,500, and in addition, a large number of indirect jobs will also be created. He said that it is predicted that the existing shortfall in price orders will be restored by the end of the year and the necessary empowerment of the factories will be done accordingly.

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The suspect wanted over the murder of a 24-year-old youth in front of an apparel factory in Panadura in May, has been apprehended by the Police.

The Police stated that the suspect was arrested while at the Kataragama Bus Depot last night (13). 

The suspect has been identified as a 24-year-old resident of the Kirana area in Panadura. 

A school student was apprehended earlier in connection to the murder. Investigations had revealed that the schoolboy had travelled with the chief suspect in a three-wheeler to provide assistance to carry out the attack.

The chief suspect had attacked the victim with a sword in front of an apparel factory on the night of May 31, 2023. 

The victim had run into the factory premises after which the suspect had followed behind and continued to attack him, resulting in his death. The incident had been captured on the CCTV installed at the factory premises.

The victim who had sustained serious blows to the head had died on the spot. The deceased was identified as a 24-year-old resident of an apartment complex in Modarawila. 

The Police stated that the attack had been carried out due to the escalation of a long-standing dispute between two parties. (NewsWire)

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