Kosgama Blast: Lance Corporal Janaka's unfortunate death

Kosgama Blast: Lance Corporal Janaka's unfortunate death

The only individual so far identified as having died after the ammunition depot at Kosgama Army Camp at Salawa exploded happens to be Army Soldier Lance Corporal Chaminda Kathriaarachchi, a 40 year old father of two who was a resident of
Medagama hamlet in Buttala, Moneragala. 

On the day of the incident during the period 5.45 and 6.29 in the evening he had taken telephone calls to 3 persons, it has been revealed. These calls he had taken to his wife, Sarath Aiya, a neighbour and an uncle of his and the final call he had been engaged in was at 6.29 while standing inside a drain. He had first mentioned that the Army Camp was exploding and that his other comrades should be rescued while during the last stages of the conversation he had said that since the sound of the blast seems to be aggravating he had got down into a drain and that he is in a safe spot. 

What he had told his wife was, "Hello ... Nadee ... do you hear that noise?" "I can't hear anything ... can't understand you properly ... speak a little loud will you ... why, is it raining?"  "No, there is a fire in the ammunition depot!" "Aney, you be careful!" "How can I alone remain safe ... our boys are cordoned inside ... I must look after them also no. I'll get a call later ... if not I'll speak to Sarath Aiya next door". Subsequently Janaka had spoken to a relative uncle of his. "Uncle .. I am okay ... can't come out ... the ammunition depot has exploded and pieces are falling all over .... there .. get aside, shrapnel are being thrown about!" so saying he had disconnected the line, the uncle told. 

Subsequently, he had taken a call to Sarath Aiya who was a very close confederate of their family next door and had said, "Aiye ... the Camp is exploding ... I am here now inside a drain". Though Sarath Aiya had cautioned him and tried to speak to him further Janaka's phone had been unanswerable. By that time the time was 6.29 it was learned. 

With wounds on the head, Janaka breathed his last on admittance to hospital. Janaka who was a resident of Buttala, Waguruwela joined the services in the year 1996 and was someone who gave of his services in the brutal terrorist war too. In fact he was to retire in another 2 years' time. The very last time he had returned home was just one month before this to attend his daughter's puberty ceremony and she had been studying in the 8th Year at that time. Janaka has a younger son too. Because of the death of Janaka who used to speak for over twenty times a day to his home and being so attached to the family, everyone in the family is still in a shock. Janaka's sister too is married to someone from the Civil Security Forces. However he has been killed while in action by the terrorists.