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Over 230 skeletons and counting unearthed from Mannar mass grave

The skeletal remains of at least 232 people have been unearthed from a mass grave in Mannar, with over 100 days of excavations having taken place thus far and more bodies reportedly still to be discovered.

Senior Judicial Medical Officer Saminda Rajapakse said that since excavations began over fove months ago, 224 complete bodies have been discovered with the remains of other people making up a total of 232. The remains of children are amongst those found at the mass grave, with many bearing “deep and unusual” lacerations on their bones, according to those excavating the site.

The remains are being held at a special chamber in the Mannar Court Complex, reports ColomboPage.

Though samples of the remains were supposedly due to be sent to a laboratory in the United States for carbon dating, the decision to send them lies with Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Justice. The ministry is yet to reply, and is only expected to respond in December.

 

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