(UDHAYAM, COLOMBO) – The owner of the building in Wellawatta, which collapsed killing two people and injuring another twenty-one, has been arrested after he surrendered to Police.
Reportedly, allegations were raised regarding the standard of the building while the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) said that its approval had not been obtained.
Permission had been initially obtained for a three-storey building but it had been extended to five-stories and had collapsed when construction was being carried out to further expand the building up to seven-floors.
Hundreds of Army, and Police personnel and Fire-Fighters had joined the rescue operation in Wellawatta, where the building still under construction collapsed on Thursday (18).