Public anger explodes, gas cylinders vanish

By Nishan S Priyantha

A group of people forcibly removed scores of cylinders of cooking gas from a distribution truck last evening at Armour Street, Colombo.

Customers in their hundreds were waiting at a gas sales point at Armour Street since Friday for the arrival of the distribution truck. On Saturday, they closed Armour Street from Panchikawatte Junction to the Armour Street junction by placing empty gas cylinders across the road.

On Sunday they opened that section but obstructed the Armour Street junction with empty cylinders.

Three policemen were deployed at the gas sales point. Only 250 tokens had been issued, but there were over 1,000 customers from Kotahena and Armour Street.  The truck arrived around 2.00 pm and the helper of the lorry started to issue gas cylinders to those who had tokens. On realising that they would not be able to buy gas, many people became restless, rushed to the truck and grabbed gas cylinders.

The situation was brought under control but 70 gas cylinders had been removed by then.

Later in the evening a police mobile using public addressing systems called on residents to hand over the gas cylinders.

Two persons carrying gas cylinders robbed from the truck had been nabbed by the police at Malay Street, police said.

Further investigations were in progress under the supervision of Kotahena OIC, CI Kosala Nawarathe.