Bomb explodes in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 January 2000, 07:27 GMT]
Twelve persons were killed and 73 others were wounded when a powerful bomb exploded at the Vavuniya post office around 11.10 a.m. today. Five Sri Lanka Army soldiers were amongst the dead, police source said.

A parcel bomb was placed near a post box at one of the counters, sources said. The blast completley destroyed the counter. However, the post office building was not damaged, sources said.

Police sources said eight people died on the spot while four died at the hospital.

Among the wounded were 12 Sri Lanka Army soldiers and 7 policemen, the sources said.

Sources said several police and army personnel who received their salary yesterday had come to the post office to send money to their family members in the south of the island.

The post office is about 50 metres from the main police station in the town.

The wounded have been rushed to the hospitals in Vavuniya and Anuradhapura. According to hospital sources, 39 of them are serioulsy injured.

It is not known who was resposposible for the blast. The police have blamed the Liberation Tigers for the incident.