Schoolchildren among 58 killed in Sri Lanka bus blast
A powerful land mine detonated under a passenger bus packed with commuters and school children in Sri Lanka today, killing at least 58 people, the army said.
The explosion, described as “huge” by military spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe, was the worst single act of violence since the government and Tamil Tiger rebels signed a ceasefire in 2002, and renewed fears of a return to war.
A doctor at the hospital where the bodies were taken, SB Bothota, said 15 schoolchildren were among the 58 killed. Another 45 people were reportedly wounded.
