Fire in Esbarige believed to be from an electrical short

Residents of G. Esbarige and G. Aseynaage have said that the fire on Wednesday night which damaged both the houses was most likely a result of an electrical short.

The fire, which originated from G. Esbarige had quickly spread to adjacent G. Aseynaage.

A resident of G. Esbarige spoke to “Sun” on Thursday morning and said that he had not yet received any details regarding the fire, but that it was believed to be a result of an electrical shortage.

Police has not yet made any comment as the incident is still under investigation.

The fire incident, which started at around 9:40 pm left a large part of both Esbarige and Aseynaage burned to a crisp.

An eyewitness reported that there had been a total of about 35 people – both local and foreign – living in the two houses when they caught on fire. And that residents from both the houses were vacated before it caused any bodily harm.

Five people were taken to the hospital suffering from breathing difficulties due to smoke inhalation, but their conditions are not serious.

The extent of the damage to the two three-storey houses and the belongings of its residents is unclear at the moment as authorities have deemed it too unsafe for the residents to return.

The fire also caused some damage to a nearby 10-storey building.

People were vacated from the neighborhood, with some having to rely on temporary living arrangements.