Vigilance of bus crew averts major disaster

Ranil WIJAYAPALA and Rafik JALALDEEN

COLOMBO: A major disaster was averted yesterday due to timely action by a conductor and a driver of a CTB bus plying from Mattakkuliya to Moratuwa.

They evicted around 60 passengers from the bus after taking it to a safer place close to Horton Place roundabout minutes before a suspected parcel bomb exploded inside.

Four people sustained minor injuries as the bomb exploded after the bus was taken to a place opposite the Viharamahadevi Park with Police taking prompt action to stop traffic along the road at a time when heavy traffic congestion is reported.

“Three out of the four people admitted to the Colombo National hospital were suffering from shock,” Colombo National hospital Director Hector Weerasinghe told the Daily News.

The conductor and the driver of the bus had been informed about this unattended parcel close to the rear seat as the bus was passing Town Hall and reaching towards the Horton Place roundabout.

In turn conductor Manjula Udayangana and driver Ranjith Thilakasiri had informed the Police about the suspected parcel and they have been advised by the Traffic Police officer at the Horton Place roundabout to take the bus to safer place.

“The bomb exploded at 1.50 p.m. a few minutes after the last passenger was evacuated from the bus (NA-3656) and the Police were waiting for the bomb disposal unit,” driver Thilakasiri said.

According to driver and the conductor there were around 60 passengers inside the bus at the time the suspected parcel was detected close the rear seat of the bus.

The Police had taken all precautionary measures to minimise the damage to people and the property stopping the traffic flow on the Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha close to former Nomands ground. The bomb caused extensive damages to the bus.

“This is definitely a desperate attempt by the LTTE to explode a bomb inside a bus to and to inflict casualties to the civilians so that they can show to the world that Colombo is not safe.

But we should commend the timely action of the passengers, the conductor and the driver of the bus for their vigilance about unattended parcels at this decisive period,” Military Spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara told the Daily News.

Appeal to passengers

The Police last night appealed to all passengers of the ill-fated bus who had embarked and disembarked at any point on the journey to visit the nearest Police station and make a statement. The statements will be treated in a strictly confidential manner.