In a bizarre incident in Wadduwa, a hand grenade explosion left a youth killed and nine others injured following an argument between two men on a motorbike and a group of people who were stranded as the bus they were returning from Matara after attending a funeral broke down.

The bus carrying a group of about 25 passengers who were on their way back to Kahatuduwa in Piliyandala after attending a funeral in Matara broke down when a tyre burst in the Delduwa area in Wadduwa around 10.45pm on Monday. While they were attending to the repairs, two young men riding a motorcycle had appeared on the scene and questioned what the matter was. The passengers alleged that the two men had been drunk.

According to police an argument had taken place between the two young men and the passengers of the bus soon afterwards. During the course of the argument one of the two young men had run to his house which was nearby and returned with a hand grenade.

According to the passengers of the bus, they had shouted in fear when the two men attempted to throw the hand grenade at the bus and told the two men that there were even small children inside the bus.

However, the man holding the hand grenade who stood behind the bus had removed the safety pin causing an explosion killing him on the spot and causing serious injuries to two passengers. His associate had fled the area immediately after the incident.

The police said that the residents in the area who rushed to the scene following the explosion had thought that the hand grenade was thrown by the passengers of the bus and a clash had taken place between the two groups.

The young man who died while allegedly holding the hand grenade has been identified by police as Suranga Priyadarshana (29) of Moronthuduwa, Wadduwa. One person who was seriously injured was admitted to the Nagoda General Hospital along with eight others who suffered minor injuries.

The police also said that during investigations it was revealed that the two men were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.

The body of the deceased was sent to Gonaduwa Government Hospital for the post-mortem examination. The Wadduwa police are conducting further inquiries into the incident. (Supun Dias and Kusal Chamath)