Deputy Minister of Tourism Ruwan Ranasinghe has warned the public of false information being circulated related to the measures taken by the authorities to contain the fire raging in the Ella Forest Reserve.
Addressing an event in Badulla, the Deputy Minister said that fake news was being spread about the firefighting operations underway.
Providing a clarification, Deputy Minister Ruwan Ranasinghe said previous attempts to contain the fire using helicopters had failed due to the strong winds experienced in the area.
He said, therefore, at a recent meeting with Defence officials, a decision was taken to launch the fire extinguishing operation.
The Deputy Minister of Tourism requested to refrain from spreading fake news related to the fire extinguishing operation in the Ella Forest Reserve.
