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Plastic bag turned out to be a deadly Hakka Patas
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The little victim and (below) his grieving mother
Mystery still surrounds the tragic death of a 10-year-old boy in Hambegamuwa who died of injuries caused by a ‘Hakka Patas’ bomb last week.
The victim, Sasindu Kaveesha, had been playing cricket with his younger brother in their garden on August 18 when the ball had got lodged in a nearby tree. The boy had managed to retrieve the ball after climbing onto a some rocks situated by to the tree.
While retrieving the ball, he had noticed a plastic bag hidden in the tree and brought the bag down. While attempting to open the bag by using his teeth, the bag exploded.
He was rushed to the Hambegamuwa hospital but died soon afterwards. The post-mortem inquiry revealed he died of serious injuries to his face and head.
The ‘Hakka Patas’ is used to protect crops from wild animals and also for hunting. Thisexplosive device inflicts terrible injuries to animals, leading to a slow and extremely painful death.
It is still unclear as to who exactly hid the explosive in the tree and for what purpose.
Police investigations are currently underway.
Young Sasindu was the second child in a family of three boys. His elder brother is a monk, while both he and his younger brother were students at the Hambegamuwa Primary School.
At the time of his death, Sasindu was preparing to sit for the Grade 5 Scholarship Exam scheduled for today (21st).
Pix by Sumanasiri Gunathilake