Minister of Disaster Management Anura Priyadarshana Yapa says a probe is underway to ascertain the reasons behind the supply of sub-standard coffins to bury 14 persons who died in last Saturday's Meethotamulla garbage dump tragedy.
He said a committee of officials from his Ministry was sent to Kolonnawa and Meethotamulla specifically, to carry out the probe.
Yapa added that after the President advised him to hold the funerals of all those who died in the tragedy at State expense, the probe initiated by him had revealed that inferior quality coffins had been supplied to bury some of the victims.
The Kolonnawa District Secretary had been personally advised to allow the residents of Kolonnawa to choose coffins of their liking to bury their loved ones. Fourteen of the coffins had begun to break up under the weight of the corpses within when they were taken in a procession for burial on 17 April, prompting the coffins to be placed down and tied up with strands of cloth before being taken for burial.
