The owner of the S & C (Pvt) Ltd. latex factory in Bellapitiya, Horana--where five individuals died after being exposed to toxic ammonia ga--was arrested after he surrendered to courts today. He was remanded, along with the factory's manager and a senior laboratory assistant, until May 11th by the Horana Magistrate.
The arrests stem from a situation which occurred on April 19th, when a factory worker fell into an ammonia tank while trying to clean it. Several coworkers and villagers who attempted to rescue him developed breathing difficulties. A total of five people, including the worker who fell and four villagers, died from exposure to the toxic gas.