
Three officers from the Bandaranaike International Airport’s (BIA) Bird and Wildlife Control Unit were injured and hospitalized after an explosive device they fired to scare away birds malfunctioned.
The device, intended to explode in mid-air, failed to do so and instead fell onto their cab, detonating upon impact.
The explosion also ignited additional projectiles stored in the vehicle, causing a fire.
The incident took place near the airport runway around 11:45 am, after the unit received reports of a flock of birds posing a risk to aircraft operations.
In response, three officers were dispatched to the area in a cab to disperse the birds using explosive projectiles.
The explosion and subsequent fire resulted in the officers’ injuries, and they were immediately taken to Negombo General Hospital for treatment.
The vehicle they were traveling in was severely damaged, and the Airport Fire Unit quickly deployed fire trucks to control the blaze.