A fire that broke out on the third floor of a building on First Cross Street, Colombo 11 at around 3.30 p.m. yesterday (20) was still burning more than three hours later, the Police Media Unit said. 

As of 7.15 p.m. yesterday, efforts to bring the blaze under control were ongoing.

The Colombo Fire Brigade had deployed 12 fire engines to the scene, supported by two firefighting vehicles from the Sri Lanka Air Force and a Bell 212 helicopter assisting operations from above. The Sri Lanka Navy had also dispatched several firefighting assets. 

According to the Police, no casualties had been reported at the time of going to press. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.