An explosion near the Vadduvakal bridge in Mullaitivu killed one Tamil teenager and severely injured another young man yesterday. 

Kumarasamy Chandramohan, aged 19, died on the spot while Selvakumar Sayantharoopan, aged 20, wad sent to Jaffna Teaching hospital for intensive care treatment. 

Chandramohan's family sell fruit juices and coconut water near Vadduvakal bridge. Speaking to the police about the incident, Kumarasamy’s mother said that her son and his friend, both residents of Vadduvakal, walked to a nearby spot around 50 metres away from their stall, telling her that they were going to prepare refreshment drinks.  

“I suddenly heard the explosion and no one was around. I immediately rushed to the scene and saw my son bleeding profusely and his friend suffering severe injuries,” Chandramohan's mother recalled.

“There were two big wounds in my son’s leg from which blood was flowing out. The Gotabaya naval base was nearby. I shouted to them for help to save the two boys. But no navy personnel came forward to save the two lives. So I took the help of passersby and loaded the two of them in a vehicle. The navy officers then arrived in the scene and filmed a video,” Chandramonhan's mother said as she broke down in tears. 

Sri Lankan police are currently pursuing an investigation in an attempt to establish the cause of the explosion. The police have identified the land area in which the blast took place and have demarcated it as a “danger zone” and will seek court permission to enlist explosive device experts to carry out further investigations.