Lightning Torched 11 Imported Cars at Hambantota Port — Who Eats the Loss?

A lightning strike hit a vehicle storage yard at Hambantota Port on Nov 1 during heavy rain, and the fire that followed damaged 11 freshly imported cars before a single one reached a showroom or a buyer. Port police opened an investigation, but nobody official has said yet who actually pays for this. One side says this is squarely on the importer and their marine/transit insurance — cargo sitting in a bonded yard is still the importer's risk until customs clearance and handover, lightning or not. The other side says the Port Authority runs the yard, controls the storage and drainage, and should carry liability for anything that happens on their grounds, especially with monsoon rain that hits every single year. If you've ever imported a vehicle, did your policy actually cover "act of God" damage while the car sat at the port, or did you only find out it didn't after something went wrong? And if these 11 buyers end up quietly absorbing the loss, would you still trust an auction photo and a bill of lading the same way? මේකේ වගකීම කාගෙද? Port එකේද, importer ගෙද, නැත්නම් insurance එකෙන්ම cover වෙනවද?