Rumor Leads To Panic Over Water Supply

Already tense after a bomb attack by Tamil separatists last week, thousands of Colombo residents panicked Tuesday in response to rumors that rebels had poisoned the capital’s water supply.

Worried residents jammed the telephone exchange and hundreds of people rushed to police stations demanding information.

“This is totally false. We continuously monitor the city’s water supply and have not found any pollutants,” said Sujeewa Bandara, an officer in charge of the Amabalate pumping station, which supplies 80 percent of Colombo’s water.

At least 81 people were killed and 1,400 wounded when an explosives-laden truck rammed into the Central Bank building on Jan. 31.

The government blamed Tamil Tiger separatists for the blast, which destroyed eight buildings in downtown Colombo.