Deadly Blast Rocks Sri Lanka

A massive explosion rocked the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo after office hours on Friday and witnesses said they could hear gunfire from an area cordoned off by security forces.

Initial reports said a truck bomb had exploded on a busy road in the Borella area of the capital during the evening rush hour.

Hospital officials said at least fourteen people were killed by the explosion and another 45 were wounded.

The explosion occurred in an area on a route to parliament where lawmakers were meeting for a monthly vote on extending the state of national emergency and to discuss the defense ministry budget.

Witnesses said roads had been closed and there were massive traffic jams.

There were no claims of responsibility for the explosion, but previous bomb blasts have been blamed on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, who have been fighting since 1983 for a separate homeland for minority Tamils in the island's north and east.

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