Excavation work on the mass grave discovered near the Colombo Port, resumed on September 25, 2024. When the excavation was paused on September 13, 2024, two skeletal remains and two skulls had been unearthed. Additionally, six more skulls and several other skeletal fragments were observed on the surface, along with evidence of a water pipe running through the site.
The excavation of this mass grave began on September 5, 2024, under the close supervision of officials from the Office on Missing Persons, lawyers representing victims’ families, archaeologist Raj Somadeva, and forensic medical officer Dr. S.P.A. Hewage. The discovery and subsequent excavation were conducted following an order issued by Colombo Chief Magistrate Thilina Gamage.
This discovery holds significant importance for families who have been searching for their missing loved ones in Colombo for many years.
The remains were initially discovered on July 14, 2024, when workers from a private construction company, while excavating for the Port City expressway entrance in front of the Colombo Port Police station, came across human skeletal remains buried six feet underground. The police reported that the remains were found approximately 300 meters from a naval camp. Following this, construction activities at the site were suspended, and law enforcement officials stated that further investigations into the skeletal remains would proceed after the Magistrate’s inspection. Security at the project site was also heightened.
As of November 28, 2024, the excavations at the mass grave near Colombo Port, which resumed on September 25, 2024, have uncovered a total of eight human skeletons. The second phase of excavation, conducted from September 26 to 28, revealed additional skeletal remains, bringing the total to eight. These remains are currently under police protection at the Colombo (North) Crimes Unit’s laboratory for further investigation.
Over the past several decades, particularly during the periods of armed conflict, hundreds of individuals disappeared in Colombo and the southern regions of the country. Many families have been tirelessly searching for their missing relatives for years.
The Office on Missing Persons, established to investigate such incidents, has documented over 20 mass graves across the country to date.
(Photo credit to Collective of the Families of the Disappeared)
