2ND LEAD

Bus bomb kills 16, wounds 27 civilians in Amparai

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 April 2007, 08:43 GMT]
Sixteen civilians including ten women were killed and 27 wounded when a bomb exploded inside a bus at the Sri Lankan military check post at Kondaivedduvaan, as its passengers were getting down to be checked, 4 km west of Amparai town Monday around 12:30 p.m., Police officials in Amparai said. One female police constable and a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) trooper were among those killed.

Tension prevailed in Kondaivedduvaan area as SLA troopers launched a search operation following the blast.

The bus, belonging to Bibilai Depot in Badula and on its way from Amparai to Badulla, was completely damaged in the blast which killed 12 on the spot.

Four succumbed to their injuries while being rushed to the hospital.

The injured passengers are admitted to Amaparai district hospital where ten of them are in a critical condition, hospital sources said.

Steps have been taken to transfer the ten in critical condition to hospitals in Colombo and Kandy.

The bus which had begun its journey from a bus stand in Amparai around 12:15 p.m, had driven nearly one and a half km before reaching Kondaivedduvaan SLA check post.

The bomb exploded when the driver and the conductor went to file the necessary information with the SLA personnel manning the check post.

The bomb, concealed in a bag and placed on the shelf above the seats in the bus, exploded, the police said.

A huge crowd of people had gathered at Amaparai hospital to see the injured and the dead, causing great commotion.

The victims were not identified until evening.

The Kondaivedduvaan SLA check post is located on the shore of the lake in the area and all passengers from Amparai district travelling to Badulla, Colombo and other places are routinely checked before being allowed to proceed .

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