COLOMBO, March 19 (Xinhua) -- At least 45 employees of a garment factory in Ja-Ela on the outskirts of capital Colombo were hospitalized after inhaling a poisonous gas on Monday, local police said.

Preliminary investigations revealed there had been a gas leakage on the factory premises.

Those affected were rushed to a nearby state hospital. The majority of them are women.

An investigation has been launched into the incident.