The fire at Salawa army camp in Kosgama, Avissawella is suspected to have erupted during a fire drill, Defence Secretary Karunasena Hettiarachchi said yesterday.

However, the exact reasons will be apparent only after the investigations have been completed on the incident, he told media at a press conference in Colombo.

Meanwhile Army Spokesman Brigadier Jayanath Jayaweera said that the shrapnel and shells scattered around the vicinity of the camp were being cleared.

He warned people from keeping such objects as souvenirs, saying that it is both dangerous and illegal to do so.