Published on - 7/11/2008
MONERAGALA: A TWELVE-YEAR old child and two women died and at least twenty-six passengers sustained injuries in Friday (11) morning terrorist fire on KATARAGAMA bound bus when it was passing GALGE jungle patch, near 149th Mile Post.
Initial reports suspect several isolated pockets of Tiger terrorists were behind the brutal attack on the passing bus (NA 3655), belonging to the MONERAGALA bus depot.
The innocent mother, Mrs HERATH MUDIYANSELAGE KARUNAWATHIE and her son, MADHUSANKA (12) of PUWAKGODA, DAMBAGALLA died of terrorist gunshot injuries. One more dead woman was yet to be identified. Those remains are lying at the KATARAGAMA district hospital. Nineteen seriously wounded have been admitted to HAMBANTOTA base hospital where some of them were undergoing surgery and treatment.
The BUTTALA-KATARAGAMA main road was immediately closed after the terrorist act. Additional Police personnel and troops have been mobilized to the area in order to net fleeing terrorists in those jungles. Several months ago, another passenger bus came under attack in the same area claiming several innocent lives when the terrorists triggered a claymore mine. (See Separate Situation Report: Headlined Passenger Bus Death Toll Rises as Surgeons Rushed from Capital on 16 January 2008).
