LTTE claymore kills 21

Rush-hour bus targeted in Katubedda; Over 70 injured:

Rasika Somarathna and Rafik Jalaldeen

COLOMBO: At least 21 civilians including eight women were killed and over 70 others injured when the LTTE triggered off another claymore mine targeting a packed passenger bus at Katubedda, Moratuwa during the morning rush hour yesterday.

One of the injured being taken to the Kalubowila Hospital

The private bus plying from Kottawa to Mt. Lavinia caught a claymore mine which was placed in a thicket patch along the roadside in Katubedda yesterday around 7.45 a.m, police media spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekera said.

“The roadside bomb was placed at a thicket between Shailabimbaramaya Buddhist temple and the University of Moratuwa targeting the bus bearing number 29-1885 that was travelling from Kottawa to Mount Lavinia on route number 255,” he added. The Security Forces and police beefed up security in the area including the Moratuwa University campus and arrested 15 suspects.

“In a subsequent search operation police arrested 15 suspects for questioning from the area and the search operation is still proceeding,” SSP Gunasekera told the Daily News.

Eight special police teams were deployed to conduct further investigations, he added.

At the time of the blast the ill-fated bus was travelling at capacity level with more than 100 passengers on board sources said.

Military Spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara told the Daily News that authorities had confirmed the explosion was due to a claymore mine and that investigations were continuing to ascertain whether it was triggered using a remote controlled device or not. Government Analyst P.R.N.M. Liyanarachchi said a typical claymore mine weighing around 2 kg high explosives was placed inside a thicket facing the road side.

“We believe that the claymore mine was detonated by a remote control device. The casualties were high due to metal balls of the claymore mine which hit the passengers travelling on the foot board of the ill fated bus,” he added.

The injured had been rushed to Kalubowila, Lunawa and Colombo General Hospitals. Director of the Kalubowila Hospital Dr. Wilfred Kumarasiri told the Daily News that over 70 injured people had been admitted to the hospital and he had taken steps to transfer five of them who had sustained serious injuries to Colombo.

According to Dr. Kumarasiri 12 of the injured had been subjected to surgery and were in a critical condition and by yesterday evening 47 patients were receiving treatment at the hospital.

The Director of the General Hospital Hector Weerasinghe said that they had received five critically injured patients transferred by the Kalubowila hospital. According to Dr. Weerasinghe all five had received serious head injuries and were undergoing treatment at the emergency unit.

The head of the Lunawa hospital Dr.A.P. Rathnasingham said that 16 injured people had been brought to the hospital immediately after the blast, and subsequently he had taken steps to transfer eight of them who had sustained serious injuries to the Kalubowila hospital.

The others who had received minor injuries were treated and had already left, he said while adding that only one patient was still receiving treatment.

He was not in a serious condition. Meanwhile, authorities immediately took steps to impose a Police curfew in the Moratuwa area as both the Police and Army took steps to launch a combined search operation.

SSP Gunasekera urged the public to be extra vigilant.

“We request public to be vigilant and be alert on their surroundings, as well as on suspicious parcels and suspects,” he said.

Eyewitnesses describe horror

“I got into the bus at Kottawa. I was seated near the door. There was a very loud bang just as the bus left the university bus halt,” Indusara Gayan, a passenger who escaped with injuries told the Daily News.

Shanthi Karunaratna, another passenger, said she was thrown out from her seat after the explosion. “I felt that my legs were gone. I somehow crawled to the front of the bus. I was taken out by passers-by and put into a vehicle.”

Lal Ranjith Silva, who had disembarked from the bus at the earlier halt, said he saw the explosion. He had run to the bus and helped in the rescue effort. A.M. Suranjith, a motorcyclist who was almost riding alongside the bus, said he had a lucky escape.

“There was a loud bang and amid the shock, I realised a bomb had exploded. I helped take many people to the hospital.”

Nirmala, who was injured in the blast, said it was a gruesome sight. She managed to get out with the help of passersby.