Nov 17, Colombo: A special committee will be appointed to investigate the gas leak in Sri Lanka's Sapugaskanda oil refinery that resulted in two deaths Friday, Minister of Petroleum Industries Susil Premajayantha told parliament today.

He said the police have launched a special investigation into the accident and a report is to be submitted to him today.

Two people died and 11 were hospitalized after inhaling a noxious gas during the repairs on a leaking gas line at the refinery.

Of the injured, two are receiving treatment in the intensive care unit of the Colombo National Hospital. Four others are also at the National Hospital while another five have been admitted to the Ragama Hospital.

The Minister said relief will be provided for the injured and for the families of the deceased.

Meanwhile an opposition party affiliated trade union at the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation has requested President Mahinda Rajapaksa to appoint a committee to look into alleged corruption at the establishment.

Secretary of the union Ananda Palitha has told local radio Hiru-FM that the two people died while attempting to carry out reconstruction activities on an obsolete pipeline structure.

The Petroleum Industry Ministry said that the leakage of the noxious gas was not an act of sabotage. The Ministry announced that the pipeline has been totally closed down and the gas leak at the refinery has been brought under control.