5TH LEAD (ADDED PHOTOS AND VICTIMS NAMES)

5 killed, SLAF attacks hospital surrounding in Kilinochchi, 500 patients flee hospital

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 November 2006, 09:07 GMT]
Five members of a family were killed when Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir jets dropped 16 bombs within 500 meters east of the newly built Kilinochchi General Hospital at Anandapuram around 2:30 p.m. Thursday. One was seriously wounded. Around 500 patients warded in the hospital, among others mothers with newly born babies in their hands and severely wounded patients from earlier SLAF bombings, were forced to leave the hospital premises. Explosion shock shattered hospital window-glasses and fans fell down while the patients were having lunch in their beds, doctors told TamilNet. Tension prevailed in Kilinochchi town following the aerial attack.



The bombs hit a house, within 500 meters east of the hospital at Anandapuram in Kilinochchi along the A9 landroute.

The victims were identified as Murugesu Markandu, 62, his brother Murugesu Shanmugarathinam, 56, and sister Rathinam Sarawathy, 59.

Two sons of Mr. Shanmugaratnam, S. Sasi, 20, and S. Krishanth, 18, both studying GCE A/L, were also killed and their house was fully destroyed.

Only survivors of the family were the mother, a teacher, and her daugther, both of whom were at school during the attack.

Doctors evacuating the patients from hospital also complained that Colombo had been delaying in extending ICRC protection to the hospital.

There was no LTTE military installation near the hospital, the doctors added.

Students at Central College and Technical College located near the hospital were caught in shock.

Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission officials visited the vacated Hospital following the attack.

One of the 16 bombs did not explode.









Chronology: