Over Rs. 10 million in property destroyed in Mattegoda garage fire

A motorcycle repair workshop located in the vicinity of the Mattegoda Housing Scheme was completely gutted by a sudden blaze on Wednesday afternoon. The fire erupted swiftly, engulfing the interior workshop where fuel, lubricants, and spare parts were stored, and producing thick plumes of black smoke.

Local residents alongside firefighters worked diligently to contain the inferno and prevent it from spreading into neighboring houses and retail outlets. By the time emergency crews successfully brought the fire under control, the entire garage structure and its contents had been reduced to ashes.

Workshop owners and local officials estimated that the destruction of sophisticated maintenance tools, diagnostic equipment, spare component inventories, and numerous customer motorcycles undergoing repairs exceeded Rs. 10 million in total losses. Thankfully, workshop mechanics and bystanders evacuated in time, preventing fatalities or severe burn injuries.

Mattegoda Police have commenced a detailed inquiry into the incident, examining whether the blaze was triggered by a fuel leakage catching fire during welding repairs or an underlying electrical fault.