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Colombo central bus station bombing
Part of the Sri Lankan Civil War
Colombo central bus station bombing (Central Colombo)Show map of Central ColomboColombo central bus station bombing (Colombo Municipality)Show map of Colombo Municipality
Location	Pettah, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Coordinates	6°56′4.92″N 79°51′17.28″E / 6.9347000°N 79.8548000°E / 6.9347000; 79.8548000
Date	April 21, 1987 (UTC+5:30)
Attack type	Car bombing
Deaths	113-150
Perpetrator	Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam

The Colombo central bus station bombing was the car bombing of the central bus terminal of Colombo carried out on April 21, 1987, in Pettah, Colombo, Sri Lanka. The 80-pound (36 kg) bomb killed at least 113 people and left a 10-foot (3 m) crater in the ground. The New York Times estimated 200 people had been injured.

The bombing, which was chosen specifically to land on the time of the day in order to harm as many people as possible, produced an enormous explosion that could be heard ten miles away. Six buses were trapped in the attack, causing numerous passengers to die in the fire as their buses burned. Heavy rainfall delayed rescue workers from arriving to the scene at time. Heaps of victims, including old people and children lay on the ground in agony before they were received by authorities.

The Bank of Ceylon Pettah branch was also heavily damaged during the attack. The attack had been attributed to the Tamil militant groups, EROS and the LTTE.

Aftermath

After the bombing, strict security measures were undertaken, including a curfew on the entire district, and the army prevented people from entering the areas affected by the attack.

In the immediate aftermath, Sinhalese mobs rioted across the streets of Colombo, pulling over cars to see if there were Tamils inside. Sri Lankan police led a massive intervention against rioters after some started stoning Tamil-owned stores, leading to heavy police presence in every corner of the city. The riots were eventually dispersed.

See also

• 1997 Colombo World Trade Centre bombing
• 2008 Sri Lanka bus bombings

References

1. Sabaratnam, T (1996). The Murder of a Moderate: Political biography of Appapillai Amirthalingam. Dehiwela: Nivetha Publishers. p. 370.
2. ^ "CHRONOLOGY-Major bombings in Sri Lanka blamed on Tamil Tigers". Reuters. 6 October 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
3. "Timeline of the Tamil conflict". BBC. September 4, 2000. Retrieved 2008-04-30.
4. "Sri Lankan police hold doctor in car bombing". United Press International. April 28, 1987. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
5. Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for. "Refworld | Sri Lanka: Information on a LTTE bomb attack on the Colombo bus station in 1987". Refworld. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
6. ^ Rettie, John (2009-04-21). "From the archive: Colombo bus station bomb claims 150, 22 April 1987". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 2013-09-06. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
7. ^ "Car Bomb Kills Close to 150 at Crowded Sri Lanka Bus Depot : 200 Wounded in Colombo Attack During Rush-Hour". Los Angeles Times. 1987-04-21. Archived from the original on 2021-04-21. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
8. Sabaratnam, T (1996). The Murder of a Moderate: Political biography of Appapillai Amirthalingam. Dehiwela: Nivetha Publishers. p. 370.

External links

• BBC On This Day – Tamil Tigers blamed for bus garage blast

v t e Sri Lankan civil war (1983–2009)
Origins	Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism Sinhala Only Act 1956 1958 Vaddukoddai Resolution 1977 1981 Burning of Jaffna Library Black July
Combatants	Sri Lanka Army (LRRP) Navy Air Force Police Special Task Force Home Guards Attacks on civilians Assassinations LTTE Divisions Air Tigers Sea Tigers Black Tigers Attacks in the 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Assassinations Suicide bombings Other militants (list) ENDLF ENLF EPRLF EROS PLOTE TELO  India Indian Peace Keeping Force Paramilitary groups EPDP TMVP
Phases	Eelam War I Indian intervention Eelam War II III IV Eastern / Northern theatres
Major battles	Kokkilai Vadamarachchi Poomalai Pawan Jaffna University Helidrop Balavegaya 1st Elephant Pass Pooneryn Riviresa 1st Mullaitivu Weli Oya Sath Jaya Vavunathivu Jayasikurui Thandikulam–Omanthai 1st Kilinochchi Oddusuddan A-9 highway 2nd Elephant Pass Bandaranaike Airport attack Point Pedro Jaffna Thoppigala Vidattaltivu 2nd Kilinochchi 2nd Mullaitivu Puthukkudiyirippu
Major events	Air Lanka Flight 512 Indo-Sri Lanka Accord Expulsions from Northern province Assassination of Lalith Athulathmudali Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi Assassination of Ranasinghe Premadasa Temple of the Tooth attack Lionair Flight 602 Bandaranaike Airport attack Expulsions from Colombo 2009 suicide air raid on Colombo
Leaders	Sri Lanka Military Army Tissa Weeratunga Nalin Seneviratne Hamilton Wanasinghe Cecil Waidyaratne G. H. De Silva Rohan Daluwatte Srilal Weerasooriya L. P. Balagalle Shantha Kottegoda Sarath Fonseka Navy Asoka de Silva H. A. Silva Clancy Fernando D. A. M. R. Samarasekara H. C. A. C. Thisera Daya Sandagiri Wasantha Karannagoda Air Force Dick Perera Andibuduge Fernando Makalandage Gunawardena Oliver Ranasinghe Jayalath Weerakkody Donald Perera Roshan Goonetileke Civilian J. R. Jayewardene Ranasinghe Premadasa Dingiri Banda Wijetunga Chandrika Kumaratunga Mahinda Rajapaksa LTTE Militant Velupillai Prabhakaran Pottu Amman Soosai Karuna Amman Political Selvarasa Pathmanathan Anton Balasingham S. P. Thamilselvan India Military Harkirat Singh Ashok K. Mehta Kulwant Singh Depinder Singh Dalvir Singh Krishnaswamy Sundarji Civilian R. Venkataraman Rajiv Gandhi V. P. Singh Jyotindra Nath Dixit J. Jayalalithaa M. Karunanidhi Vaiko
Aftermath	Genocide Films NPC resolution LLRC Reactions (Protests) Remembrance Day UN Panel on Accountability War crimes Chemical weapons
Related topics	Casualties Assassinations Massacres Child soldiers Disappearances Office on Missing Persons Human rights Popular culture Terrorism Non-state State PTA Sexual violence Sixth Amendment Thirteenth Amendment 1988 Maldives coup attempt 1987–1989 JVP insurrection
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• 1987 murders in Sri Lanka
• 20th century in Colombo
• 1987 building bombings
• April 1987 events
• April 1987 events in Asia
• 1987 road incidents
• Attacks on bus stations in Asia
• Attacks on civilians attributed to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
• Building bombings in Sri Lanka
• Car and truck bombings in Sri Lanka
• Explosions in Colombo
• Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam attacks against buses
• Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam attacks in Eelam War I
• 1980s massacres of the Sri Lankan civil war
• Mass murder in 1987
• Mass murder in Colombo
• Mass murder of Sinhalese
• Terrorist incidents in Colombo
• Terrorist incidents in Sri Lanka in 1987
• Car and truck bombings in the 1980s
• Attacks on bank buildings in Asia
• 1987 riots
• Ethnic riots
• Riots and civil disorder in Sri Lanka