The Sri Lanka Air Force deployed a Bell 412 helicopter on Friday to help extinguish a fire at the Karadiyana garbage dump in Bokundara, one of the Colombo metropolitan area’s largest waste disposal sites.
The blaze erupted around midday, prompting the Moratuwa Municipal Council to dispatch fire engines to the site. When ground crews were unable to contain the flames, the Air Force brought in aerial support to bolster firefighting efforts.
Authorities confirmed the helicopter was deployed to prevent the fire from spreading further. The cause of the blaze has not been determined, and investigations are underway.
Karadiyana, located in the Moratuwa-Piliyandala corridor, serves as a major waste collection point for several local government authorities in the Western Province. Fires at waste dumps pose health risks from toxic smoke and can take days to fully contain, particularly during the current dry season ahead of the Avurudu holidays.
This is a developing story.
