Sri Lanka: Minor blast in Pugoda town near Colombo, no casualties

Colombo, Apr 25: A minor blast was reported in Pugoda town, 40 km east of Sri Lanka capital Colombo, as reported by Reuters, on Thursday.

According to reports, the blast has been reported in a garbage dump in an unattended lot near the Pugoda Magistrate's Court.

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.

Sri Lankan government on Wednesday admitted that 'major' intelligence lapses led to the horrific Easter Sunday blasts and asked Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara to resign, even as the death toll in the coordinated attacks rose to 359 amidst a nationwide manhunt to nab the perpetrators.

Nine Suicide bombers, believed to be members of local Islamist extremist group called National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels.