8TH LEAD (UPDATE)

20 killed, 14 wounded, SLA attacks bus carrying school children in Madu

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 January 2008, 09:59 GMT]
20 civilians, including 11 school children, a teacher of Thadcha'naamaruthamadu Roman Catholic Tamil Mixed School, the driver, conductor and two hospital workers were killed and 14 wounded when a Deep Penetration Unit of Sri Lanka Army triggered a Claymore mine targeting the bus carrying school children in Madu division of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam controlled territory Tuesday at 2:25 p.m. The bus was 1 km away from Madu church, after having picked up the children at Thadcha'naamaruthamadu and was on its way to Paalampiddi from Madu. Eight school children were among the wounded.

The principal of the displaced Chinna Pa'ndivirichchaan school, S.M.G Lambert, 46, was one of the 12 critically wounded, transferred to Muzhankaavil. He was one of the seven severely wounded patients who were later transferred to Ki'linochchi hospital. Two of them succumbed to their injuries on the way. Dead bodies the two victims were handed over to Akkaraayan hospital.

Rev. Fr. Emilianus Pillai, from Madu Church, contacted by TamilNet, said tension prevailed at the attack site as SLA started firing artillery shells after the explosion, causing panic among the civilians who helping the victims. The driver and conductor of the bus were killed in the attack.

The children of the staff working at Madu Church were attending the school at Thadcha'naamaruthamadu with displaced children, Fr. Emilinaus said.

A Catholic Reverend Sister from the Madu Church, identified as Sister Ranjani, was among the wounded.

Meanwhile, Tiger officials at the Mannaar Operations Command of the LTTE said they had spoiled several attempts by the SLA DPU teams to infiltrate and place Claymore mines along the roads in Mannaar district within the last three months.



Names of the students killed in the Claymore blast follow (Initials and age of the deceases were yet to be registered by the hospital authorities):

1. Anton Sathees
2. Tesmon
3. Ajith
4. Bernard George
5. Jude Coston
6. Rony
7. Ganarthan
8. Milton
9. Bruno
10. Rohan
11. Samson

The names of the other deceased:

1. Latha (teacher at Thadcha'naamaruthamadu RCTMS)
2. arasi
3. Reeta (hospital employee)
4. Jerad (driver of the bus)
5. Stanley Lambert (conductor of the bus)
6. Sundaram (security guard of the Madu hospital)

Wounded passengers:

1. Francis Xavier Mathusa, 15, student
2. Sivalingam Anita, 16, student
3. Ranjan Udoxika, 11, student
4. Gunaseelan Boin Tharshana, 12, student
5. Jeyaganesan Sobana, 23
6. Fuline, 08
7. Jenistan Peiris, 12, student
8. A. Consida, 12,
9. Reverend Sister Ranjani, 35,
10. Nirushanthan, 08,
11. S.M.G. Lambert, 46, principal of Chinnna Pa'ndivirichchaan school
12. Antony Jacintha, 58,
13. Packiyanathan, 55
14. Gunaseelan Gunaseeli, 48,
15. A. Ganansooriyan, 35,
16. Dharsika, 14, student
17. Duluxan, 15, student

Chronology: