News
Grandmother worries over future of grandchildren orphaned by Katuwapitiya blast
Three weeks after the Easter Sunday bomb blast at Katuwapitiya Negombo, the faithful of the Church of St. Sebastian’s are trying hard to come to terms with reality.
While the church remains closed with army guards at its entrance, there were some devotees lighting candles inside the church. The iron fence surrounding the church was obscured with sympathy banners portraying the images of those persons lost in the blast.
Echoing the sentiments of the area people, a resident said it was “hard to go back to that church, it is full of sad memories.”
The Sunday Times visited three siblings of one family. Their parents Sanath (50) and Indrani (45) died in the blast.
The children — aged 20, 16 and 12 — are still in a state of shock. They are in the care of their grandparent and aunt.
The oldest girl (20) who is studying medicine in China and came down for the parents’ funeral left for her studies yesterday.
The other two boys studying in an international school are in deep shock. The younger boy, 12, describing the incident said he saw his parents die in front of him. He was seated in the pew between them but narrowly escaped death with only a few bruises. He is down with flu and is calling for his mother. Their paternal grandmother who was also wounded is still in the ICU and recovering from injuries .
The maternal grandmother (66) has come forward to care for the children but expresses doubt whether she could give the care given by the parents. “They had a prosperous life and went to school in a car. Can I afford this?” she asked.
“Several families had lost their bread winners in one stroke of fate. What will be the future of their children?” she asked.
The government has paid Rs. 200,000 as funeral expenses and Rs. 200,000 to each of the children. But this will not compensate for the loss they have suffered. The government should take responsibility for this tragedy and offer adequate compensation to these children to build up their lives again, she said.