The excavations at the mass grave discovered at the old CWE building (Sathosa) in Mannar has unearthed skeletal remains of 104 persons, according to Judicial Medical Officer Dr S. Rajapaksa, who is in charge of the inspection.

He stated, last evening (27), that the skeletal remains of 104 individuals have been unearthed systematically and 96 of them were removed through excavations.

During the first and second stages of the excavation process, soil mounds have been removed from the grave, and the perimeters of the location of excavations would have to be further expanded, Dr Rajapaksa said.

He further stated that skeletal remains of 96 individuals, which are currently in his custody, have been placed inside a special chamber at Mannar Magistrate’s Court complex. 
The excavated skeletal remains are slated to be sent over to a laboratory in California for carbon dating.

Dr Rajapaksa said that he has requested the Ministry of Justice for permission to send the skeletal remains to California for carbon dating.
 
However, the Ministry has not yet granted the necessary approval.

Several skeletal remains had been discovered on March 26 from a mound of soil in the Emil Nagar area in Mannar, which had been removed from the demolished CWE building and investigations regarding the location were launched subsequently.

The excavation process was launched under the orders of Mannar Magistrate A.G. Alexraja, following the submissions made by Mannar police.

The investigations, led by the officers of the Archaeological Department, Government Analysts and the Judicial Medical Officers, Mannar police officers, have been conducted for 58 days at the location, under the orders of new Mannar Magistrate T.G. Prabhakaran.

According to Prof. Raj Somadeva, Professor of Archaeology at the Postgraduate Institute of the University of Kelaniya, the age estimation of the skeletal remains is not yet determined.

He stated that investigations have revealed some unearthed skeletal remains were placed in a methodical manner at one part of the grave, however, in another part of the grave, the placement of skeletal remains is irregular.

Previously, skeletal remains belonging to 85 human bodies were unearthed while installing a pipeline near the road to Thiruketheeswaran Kovil in Mannar.

However, it was later revealed that the location had been an old cemetery, following the examinations of skeletal remains led by the former Judicial Medical Officer of Anuradhapura Hospital D.L. Vaidyarathna