Bomb kills two at Colombo concert

Saturday 11 December 2004, 22:15 Makka Time, 19:15 GMT

Police earlier clashed with Buddhist monks at the gig

At least two people were killed and 15 others were injured when a bomb exploded late Saturday at the end of a concert by an Indian superstar in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo, police said.


A bomb ripped through the stands just as Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan ended a concert that went ahead despite complaints by Buddhist monks unhappy that the show coincided with the anniversary of the death last year of a popular monk.

"Two people were dead when they were brought in," a doctor at the Colombo national hospital told AFP. "There are another 15 injured admitted. They all have shrapnel injuries caused by a hand grenade or a hand bomb."

The India star and his troupe were unharmed, police said.

Angry monks

The monks called off plans to protest during the three-hour concert, but their followers clashed with police who fired teargas, water cannon and rubber bullets to disperse mobs near the concert venue.

Police also arrested more than a dozen men who attacked cars and concert-goers.

The monks cancelled their plans to protest after receiving a written apology from Khan over the bad timing of what was billed as Sri Lanka's biggest musical event of the year.

Khan began his concert by observing a minute's silence in memory of monk Gangodawila Soma who died a year ago.

The concert went ahead under tight security, with fans searched at four points before being allowed into the venue which had earlier been inspected by police agents and police sniffer dogs.

Source: http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/BFB...B2ACD17F0EE.htm

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - A grenade exploded at a concert of Indian movie stars and entertainers in Sri Lanka's capital Saturday, killing at least two people and injuring 15, officials said.

Military spokesman Brig. Daya Ratnayake said the grenade was thrown at the crowd as the three-hour show was nearing its end. A man identified as a journalist for a local newspapers and a woman were killed, he said.

"Two persons were dead," Press Trust of India said adding "there were another 12 injured admitted (to hospital). ... All have shrapnel injuries caused by hand grenade or a hand bomb."

The Indian entertainers were unhurt, officials said. The show, titled "Temptation 2004," featured Indian stars Shahrukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Saif Ali Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Javed Khan and Celina Jaitly.

Earlier, police used tear gas to break up a protest by about 200 Buddhists who tried to prevent the concert, held a day before the anniversary of the death of a leading Buddhist cleric.

Sunday is the first anniversary of the death of Gangodawila Soma - a popular preacher who campaigned against conversions of Buddhists by Christians. Monks are a powerful political force in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka.

From: http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/new...ws/10395598.htm

GOD! whats wrong with these freaks? bombing at public functions!!

are baab yeh kya ho raha hai?

uffffff, wrong people died : (


i didn't see this on zee news
maybe somebody else saw ?