2ND LEAD

6 killed, many wounded, bus explodes in Western Province

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 January 2007, 13:37 GMT]
Six persons were killed in an explosion inside a bus at Kalapittiya near Nittambuwa, 36 km northeast of Colombo, Friday around 6:30 p.m. Around fifty passengers were wounded, as the bus, on its way to Giriulla from Nittambuwa, took fire following the explosion, Police said. 10 persons were seriously wounded. Police has clamped a curfew in the area til Saturday morning 6:00 a.m.

Police suspects that a time bomb, weighing 2 kg, was attached to the rear of the bus.

15 of the wounded persons, with minor injuries, were discharged from the hospitals while others are warded at hospitals in Wattupitiwala, Ragama and Colombo.

The traffic along Kandy Colombo Highway was diverted and the commuters were adviced to use alternative route, avoiding the area where a cordon and search operation was launched.

Nittambuwa is located in Attanagalla DS Division in Gampaha District in the Western Province.

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