16 killed, 37 injured in Nugegoda blast
Ranil Wijayapala and Chaminda Perera
At least 16 civilians were confirmed killed and 37 civilians were
injured as a suspected parcel bomb placed at a parcel counter of a
popular fashion store located at the busy Nugegoda junction exploded in
rush hour traffic yesterday at 5.55 p.m.
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A side view of the blast scene. Picture by Sudath Nishantha |
The No Limit fashion outlet and the adjoining building located just
opposite the Nugegoda junction were gutted with a huge explosion.
The busy Nugegoda junction filled with students after their tuition
classes and a large number of home bound office workers turned into a
chaotic situation immediately after the explosion causing a huge traffic
on the High Level road and Stanley Thillekeratne Mawatha towards
Kohuwala.
“The explosion was due to a suspicious parcel bomb kept in the parcel
counter of the No Limit fashion shop,” the Military Spokesman Brigadier
Udaya Nanayakkara told the Daily News.
According to reports, the bomb had exploded as a private security
guard at the shop attempted to search a suspicious parcel kept in the
parcel counter with the assistance of a Police officer on duty close to
the Nugegoda junction, Brigadier Nanayakkara added.
Nineteen bodies of eight males and seven females were brought to the
Kalubowila Teaching hospital after the incident.
Four of the bodies charred beyond recognition were also lying at the
hospital.
According to the Director of the Kalubowila Teaching hospital, Dr.
W.G. Gunawardena 33 injured persons were admitted to the hospital after
the incident and four seriously injured persons were transferred to
Colombo National hospital.
The firefighting vehicles from the Kotte Municipal Council and the
Dehiwala Mount Lavinia Municipal Councils rushed to the scene to douse
the fire that broke out inside the No Limit fashion outlet.
More than 12 motorbikes parked inside the vehicle park of the fashion
outlet and some three wheelers parked along the road were also gutted in
the fire. |
