News in Brief:

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 March 2000, 13:30 GMT]
Mine victim's led amputated, Ten people die at Mullaithivu hospital, Youth killed in Cross fire.

Mine victim's led amputated

A 14-year old boy was critically injured yesterday at Paalampiddy in the north-western Mannar District when a land mine went off hospital sources said. The boy was brought to the Vavuniya hospital when his right leg was amputated below the knee, hospital sources said.

The boy, Jeganathy Jegan, triggered the mine while had gone to collect honey in the wood with another person sources said. He was rushed to Madhu hospital with injuries to both his legs. Later he was transferred to Vavuniya hospital.

He was displaced from Iranai Illupaikulam in November last year and was living with his uncle at Paalampiddy. His parents are living in the Cheddikulam area. Sources said the boy had gone collect honey due to poverty.

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Ten people die at Mullaithivu hospital

Ten people died of Malaria and malnourish in the Mullaithivu hospital in the north-east of the island last week, medical sources said.

They said patients are facing severe problems due to shortage of drugs and medical personnel.

Hospital sources also reported an increase in patients affected by Malaria.

Local aid workers said several children in the district are affected by malnourish and are not attending schools.

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Youth killed in Cross fire

A youth was killed in a cross fire when the Liberation Tigers and Sri Lanka Army soldiers clashed at Ariyalai in Jaffna around 7 p.m. yesterday said sources. The clashes took place at Kandy road-Navalar road junction.

The youth was identified as Gobalasingham Ganeshan,25. His was body was handed over to the Jaffna hospital yesterday evening.

Further details of the clashes were not known.

Meanwhile the Sri Lanka Army has lifted ban on harvesting in paddy fields at Maravanpulo in the Thenmaradchi Division on the peninsula. The SLA had earlier banned paddy harvest in nearly 500 acres of field in the area.

The SLA called representatives of farmers' union for a meeting yesterday noon and discussed problems faced by them.

The SLA, however, said the paddy field owners and workers will have to responsibility for any damages while working in the fields. The farmers have also sent a memorandum to the Liberation Tigers through the International Committee of the Red Cross.