Twenty eight other civilians were wounded, ten of them seriously. Five shops in the vicinity and a number of vehicles were damaged. The male suicide bomber had been posing as a beggar and was being questioned by a suspicious policeman in front of the hospital.
People say that two accomplices fled from the scene when the bomb was detonated.
The police believe the LTTE carried out the attack and that a number of Tiger suicide units are in the capital seeking high profile targets. The LTTE has carried out many suicide attacks in Colombo resulting in the death of a large number of civilians. Observers suspect that the bomber was waiting for Health minister Nimal Siripala de Silva whose ministry office is in the area. He was scheduled to pass the Eye Hospital to reach his office. The security forces believe that the bomber arrived in the capital an year ago and lived in a lodge.