Twenty injured at music festival

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 August 2002, 09:38 GMT]
At least twenty people, including two policemen, were injured in clashes during the last day of a musical show held in Trincomalee. The five day mega industrial exhibition 'Yuga Thekma', organised by the Industries Ministry in Trincomalee, ended in the early hours of Wednesday.

Clashes erupted when more than fifty people armed with iron rods and other weapons rushed to the scene from Samudragama, a settlement for displaced Sinhalese families, and started assaulting spectators and damaging properties. The clashes erupted following a brawl at the musical show earlier, sources said.

About twenty people, including members of all the three ethnic communities, and two police personnel were admitted to hospital with stab wounds and other injuries. The wounded included seven Muslims and four Tamils, with the remainder being Sinhalese, medical sources said. One person was transferred to Kandy General Hospital as his condition became critical, medical sources said.

The Samudragama settlement is situated behind the Trincomalee esplanade. The Yuga Thekma exhibition was held there from August 16 to August 20.