News
Entire families torn asunder, others left severely wounded
Suicide attackers who blew themselves up in Catholic churches and hotels destroyed whole families, left some helpless without their loved ones, and severely wounded others.
Sumudu Wickramesinghe
Among those families who suffered was Sampath Wishwakeerthi Wickremerathne, 45, and his two teenage daughters Nethmi Kanchana Manjari Wickremarathne 16, Vishmi Kaveesha Wickremerathne, 14, who were killed by suicide killers.
The mother of the children was injured and underwent surgery for her head injuries.
Sumudu Wickramesinghe, 32, said she is deeply saddened by the loss of the two girls. One of them was about to sit for the Ordinary Level exam this year, while the other was in grade nine.
She is also deeply saddened, as the breadwinner of the family, Mr Wickremarathne, a trishaw driver, was killed.
Ms Wickramesinghe explained that she too would be among the dead if she had joined the Katuwapitiya church mass. She had joined the night mass the previous day as she had returned from a trip to Jaffna.
She said the whole family were at mass but were seated at different places.
After the suicide explosions, she said they searched the church and then wards and morgues.
“We identified them, even found Mrs Wickremaratne, who received injuries to the head,’’ she said.
She said the Negombo hospital had told her to apply medicine on her head for a cut she suffered. However, when she was admitted to a private hospital, they stitched up the wound, and did a scan and found shrapnel in her cranium and was then taken to surgery.
“The whole family is destroyed as a father, and two children were killed as well as the mother of two is injured. Our lives have forever changed as our loved family members are lost. Every time I see my children I remember them,” she said.
She said they hold the government responsible and condemned government inaction.
She said politicians were concerned about their own safety.
If the churches had been informed in advance, the tragedy could have been minimised.
Ms Wickramesinghe said she holds the politicians and the intelligence responsible, since they knew of the impending attacks and did not warn the people.
She said also that hospitals and their staff were overwhelmed and their care was found wanting.