Explosion at Sri Lanka exhibition site injures 20

Colombo -- At least 20 people were injured in an explosion Tuesday at an exhibition marking the country's 59th anniversary of Independence here, police said.

Initial reports said the explosion inside a stall maintained by a police commando unit known as the Special Task Force (STF) was accidental, but investigators are yet to confirm the cause of the blast.

The exhibition is being held for five days. Military hardware used to fight Tamil guerrillas of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are on display, drawing thousands of visitors.

Two STF personnel, four Buddhist monks and two children were among the injured in the blast, which took place at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), one of the main exhibition sites.