A large explosion has taken place at the house of a businessman in Kahapola Nagahatenna, Elpitiya this morning.
The back of the house was severely damaged in the blast and the businessman who owned the house was injured and hospitalized.
Police investigations have revealed that the explosion was caused by a fire in a stock of explosives used to blast rocks.
A senior police official said investigations had revealed that this businessman has a stone quarry and that he had stored the explosives behind his house.
This morning, the businessman cleaned his garden, piled up rubbish, and set it on fire in the backyard. The officer also said that the fire was spread to the explosives stored there and exploded.
He further stated that he had instructed the Elpitiya OIC to seek the assistance of the Analyst to further confirm this.