President Maithripala Sirisena was the Chief guest for opening the Shangri-La Luxury Hotel in Hambantota. There were fireworks during the opening ceremony. Sparks from fireworks hit a straw-roofed beach hut at the 300-room Shangri-La following the ribbon-cutting and triggered the fire at the hotel in Hambantota in the country’s deep south. President’s spokesman Dharmasri Bandara said, that President was evacuated from the luxury beach hotel minutes after presiding over its opening ceremony.
While the President left the hotel, President’s convoy stayed back to put out the fire.”
Local journalist Easwaran Rutnam, who was covering the hotel’s opening, said the president was about 50 metres from the hut that was gutted by the fire.
“It took about an hour for the fire to be extinguished, but it did not spread to the main hotel building”.
A local police officer said no one was injured during the incident, but an investigation had been launched.
