June 25, Colombo: The United States Embassy in Colombo today announced that it is closed to the public temporarily following the discovery of a suspicious powder on the Embassy premises this morning.

“At approximately 11:00 AM on Wednesday, a suspicious powder was discovered at the US Embassy in Colombo. The suspicious substance will be sent to a laboratory for analysis. Until the results are received and a determination is made that the substance does not pose health or safety risks, the Embassy will be closed to the public,” it said.

The Embassy added that all visa appointments and routine American citizen services will be postponed until the matter is resolved.

The Embassy’s consular section will remain available to provide emergency services to American citizens during the closure. “If you are an American citizen and need emergency assistance, please call +94-11-249-8686 during regular business hours or +94-11-249-8500 after hours and ask for the duty officer,” it said.