"Shangri-La roof came down on where Shantha and daughter were! -- Kumar Mayadunne

"Shangri-La roof came down on where Shantha and daughter were! -- Kumar Mayadunne

Veteran chef Shantha Mayadunne and her eldest daughter Nisanga Mayadunne embraced death from the accident which took place at Shangri-La Hotel on Sunday. This tragedy happened at Table One on 2nd floor in Shangri-La Hotel. A suspect who had been staying a number of months both at Shangri-La Hotel and a house in Panadura and has contemplated this suicide attack and carried out this blast waiting for the moment when breakfast was being served that particular day. Since a special Easter breakfast by the name of 'Easter breakfast' was offered that day, people who were prepared to attend church service were those who were present
there. 

Shantha, her husband Kumar and eldest daughter Nisanga together with Nisanga's husband, Shantha's son and daughter in law Tharanga were present to partake in this breakfast. Shantha's husband Kumar who describes the incident said: "We arrived at the second floor of Shangri-La Hotel for breakfast. The food available was in buffet-style. First of all, Shantha and daughter came after serving them their breakfast. After that I and those at the table went to serve themselves their breakfast It was at that time the blast took place. Actually they faced the accident because parts of the building collapsed on them. The top parts of the building where the two of them were collapsed on their body".

Though shantha and daughter died from this accident, others who accompanied them saved their lives. Shantha who had an unfortunate death is a cookery expert whom everybody is familiar with. He daughter Nisanga was wedded to Mr Shan Jayasekera. They even have a 6 month old baby girl. However they had not brought this toddler for the breakfast that day. After going overseas for further education, she was working at Pan Asia Bank in Colombo. Because of this tragic incident, 6 month old toddler of Nisanga lost her mother. Dead bodies of Shantha and Nisantha lie at their house at Old Kottawa Road, Pannipitiya and final rites will be conducted at Borella cemetery on 25th evening.