BREAKING NEWS

Blast heard in town close to Sri Lankan capital not controlled explosion

A powerful blast was heard on Thursday from vacant land behind the magistrates court in the town of Pugoda, 40 km east of the capital Colombo, police and local residents said.
Spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said police were investigating the blast on empty land behind the magistrate's court in Pugoda, 40 km.
"There was an explosion behind the court, we are investigating," he said, adding it was not a controlled explosion like other blasts in recent days.
The blast came at a time of high tension in Sri Lanka following the Easter Sunday suicide bomber attacks on the island state that killed 359 people and wounded about 500.