Chemmani mass grave identified as Sri Lanka’s second largest

Excavations at the Siththupaththi site resumed on Tuesday (26) after an 18-day break, with the remains of 16 more individuals recovered — the highest single-day discovery at the site to date. Attorney Ranitha Gnanarajah, representing victims’ families, said the total number of skeletons recovered now stands at 166, including suspected remains of young children, pending forensic confirmation.

The largest mass grave in the country is the Mannar ‘Sathosa’ site, where 376 skeletons — including 28 children — were found. Other major sites include Matale Hospital (155 skeletons, 2013), Colombo Port (88 skeletons so far), Thiruketheeswaram in Mannar (82 skeletons, 2013), and Kokkuthoduvai (52 skeletons). All these mass graves were discovered accidentally.