Five killed, 53 injured as three blasts rock Lanka

Five killed, 53 injured as three blasts rock Lanka
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

COLOMBO, FEBRUARY 9: Three persons were killed and 50 injured in bomb blasts in two buses in Colombo late last night while two policemen died and three others were injured when their vehicle was blasted by LTTE rebels in northern Jaffna today.

The toll in the last night's blasts in the two buses went up to three today with two more injured passengers succumbing to their wounds. Fifty others were admitted to hospitals with injuries.

Police said 19 people had been injured when a bomb exploded in a long distance bus at the central bus station at northern Pettiah here last night.

The blast occurred when the passengers were boarding the bus bound to Welimada in south-eastern Badulla district.

Minutes later, another bomb exploded in a crowded suburban bus at Wattala killing two persons and injuring 30 others. The condition of seven of the injured persons in the two blasts was stated to be serious, police said.

In another incident, two policemen were killed and three injured when their vehicle was blastedby the rebels at Koppai in northern Jaffna peninsula today, army sources said.