AS ONE MORE offspring of sixteen years of age heaves his last breath in his hospital bed at the Intensive Care Unit at Colombo National Hospital after receiving serious injuries in Piliyandala LTTE bus blast on 24th April evening, a series of commemorative acts were held in Piliyandala to mark the carnage. They included lighting of candles in areas where the victims resided, offer of alms and different temple Pooja offerings. Fellow employees of some of the victims were attending to other type of meritorious acts in memory of their beloved comrades.

The sixteen-year old, Iresh Chaminda Gunaratne of Madapatha, Piliyandala was a fondly-loved school boy of the Prince of Wales College in Moratuwa who has excelled both in studies and extra-curricular activities. He was lucky to have received entry into this college after winning a scholarship in the Grade 5 examination. He was the latest to take his final breath.His marvelous craftsmanship and technical knowledge brought reputation to the college when he produced a special sand sieve machine for an exhibition in the school. He was in the College’s western band and was expecting to participate in the zonal sports competition after he was selected from the divisional meet. Moratuwa Prince of Wales College lost three boys in the same tragedy. A boy in Grade 6 died on the spot in the blast. He was the Captain for the primary sports division in the college. Another boy, Nipuna Kaushalya Peiris who just got through his GCE O/L examination and entered the Advanced Level class passed away on 29th April after suffering in the hospital for five days. Nipuna was a Lance Corporal in the college cadet corps and was a brilliant boy when the LTTE brutality struck him.   
        
Twenty-nine innocent bus passengers including those three children and a leading Buddhist monk passed away in the bus explosion that was triggered by a Tiger terrorist, using a remote controller during the rush houron that ill-fated day.  Sixty four other civilians including many passengers survived with severe injuries. A leading Buddhist scholar-monk, Ven Wepathaira Gnanananda Thera,  who has been very popular among student monks and the laity also passed away following internal injuries received by him for his stomach. The monk was the Chief Sanskrit Instructor for Colombo District at the time of his demise. Late Ven. Thera’s funeral amidst a large gathering of distinguished monks and laymen took place at Madapatha, as many hundreds of his student monks went into tears when the remains were taken to the funeral pyre. (See photo).

Police and the CID made a breakthrough in their investigations and arrested the mastermind behind this bloodbath and a trail of other LTTE explosions and carnages. The Tiger terrorist, Sachithyanandu Anandan Sudhakara, living in disguise for a long time in the area, identifying himself as Lawrance David Prakash was carrying a forged identity card made to that effect. Police in their investigations traced the forged identity card of this LTTE bomb expert from his possession.Police however after confessions made by the killer apprehended two more of his aides from Colombo in connection with this bomb blast and a string of other LTTE crimes. One was found to be a hardcore LTTE terrorist, named, Devadas Sinniah.

The other one was a Sinhalese youth who resided in Madampe, Chilaw. The house where all three terrorists resided has been rented from another Sinhalese woman in Jalthara area. She has been paid Rs. one and half lakhs as an advance payment for the lease by Tiger terrorists.  The suspected Sinhalese youth was the one who has done the rent deal with the landlord on behalf of his LTTE colleagues, it was revealed.Those three-member terrorist vultures, according to the latest information, have appeared in Piliyandala on that fateful day and the bomb expert himself, has placed the parcel bomb on the passenger baggage rack in the bus. He has vanished seconds before the bus reached its full complement with passengers. It was further disclosed that he has bought a ticket for himself and entered the bus from its rear entrance with the bomb parcel as an ordinary passenger and slipped out from the front door. All three guys triggered the explosion operating from a place near the Piliyandala clock tower. The bus exploded giving a thundering sound and ripping its body with sixty over passengers in it.

(Courtesy : Sri Lanka Army )