Bomb blast in Sri Lanka, 5 killed

New Delhi: In Sri Lanka a bomb blast in a bus killed five people and injured 30 on Saturday. The blast took place in the town of Nittambuwa, north of Colombo during the evening rush hour.

A military spokesman said the bomb was placed below a passenger seat.

Tamil rebels are suspected to have planted the bomb. The blast coincides with air and artillery strikes on Tamil rebel targets in the north and the east of the island.

Police said they believe a suicide bomber triggered the blast in Meetiyagoda, some 95 kilometers (59 miles) south of the capital, Colombo.

''There is a female body inside the bus and looking at the damage the blast has caused around her, we suspect that she could have been a suicide bomber,'' said Upul Ariyaratne, a senior police official.

He said there were about 65 passengers inside the bus at the time of the blast and about 40 had been admitted to hospital.

Saturday's blast came a day after six people died in a similar bus blast near the Capital. Authorities have blamed separatist Tamil Tigers for that blast.

However, the insurgents denied involvement in both bombings.

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