The excavation has been ongoing since June, when the site was discovered ahead of the construction of a crematorium in the previously war-torn northern part of the country. The finds were made near the city of Jaffna, which is a culturally important place for the Tamil minority in the country.
The bodies were buried at a depth of 1.5 meters and lay in a disorganized manner, which, according to a report, indicates that it is a mass grave. The 141 bodies have been found in an area of a total of 165 square meters. About 135 bodies had no clothes and only one set of clothes for adults has been found.
A test confirms that at least one of the bodies belonged to a child, a girl who was between 4 and 6 years old. Among other things, dresses, shoes and stockings belonging to small children have also been found.
The identities, as well as the cause and time of their death, have not yet been clarified. However, it is likely that they are civilians who disappeared during the civil war, which broke out in 1983 between government forces and rebels from the Tamil minority who wanted to see an independent state. The war ended in 2009.
