26 Killed in Sri Lanka Bus Bomb

The bomb exploded inside the overcrowded bus, blowing off its roof, as it pulled out of the Piliyandala terminal into rush-hour traffic on Friday.

"Two more passengers died in hospital and the number of people remaining in hospital this morning is 64," a police spokesperson said.

The bus was jammed with office workers and schoolchildren returning from private classes, witnesses said.

The government blamed the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for the attack and President Mahinda Rajapakse condemned the bombing.

The latest blast came as security forces and Tamil Tiger rebels were locked in fierce combat in the north of the country, where both sides were reported to have suffered heavy casualties.

"It's a parcel bomb of about 3kg (6 lbs) with a time device. It was placed in the middle of the bus," said a bomb-disposal official.

The attack happened while the bus stopped to pick up passengers in the city's southern suburb of Piliyandala, officials said.

Saranga Sadara, who was covered in blood from helping the wounded, said he was in a neighbouring bus when the bomb exploded.
"The whole place smelled of explosives, and debris was all over," he said. No one has claimed responsibility for the bombing.