Three officers from the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) Bird and Wildlife Control Unit were injured and admitted to the Negombo Hospital after an explosive device they fired to chase away birds failed to explode in the air and instead exploded after it fell on their own vehicle.
The incident occurred near airport runway.
According to airport authorities, at approximately 11:45 am, the Wildlife and Bird Strike Control Unit received reports of a flock of birds flying over the airport runway, posing a threat to aircraft operations.
In response, three officers from the unit proceeded to the area in a cab to disperse the birds. They used projectiles containing explosive materials designed for airburst dispersal to scare away the birds.
However, one of the projectiles failed to explode in mid-air and instead fell back onto the cab they were travelling in.
The unexploded projectile subsequently detonated upon impact with the vehicle. The explosion caused additional projectiles stored inside the cab to ignite simultaneously, resulting in a fire.
The Airport Fire Unit promptly deployed multiple fire trucks to extinguish the blaze and prevent further damage.
All three officers sustained injuries in the explosion and have been admitted to the Negombo General Hospital. The cab used by the officers was also badly damaged in the incident.
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