Chemmani mass grave yields 515 human skeletons after 101 days

A total of 515 human skeletons have been recovered from the Chemmani mass grave in Jaffna in 101 days of excavation, with authorities yet to determine the identities of the deceased or when the remains were buried at the site.

The excavation of the mass grave near the Chemmani Siththupaththu Cemetery reached its 101st day on August 9. The remains recovered so far have been securely deposited at the case-property storage facility of the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court, while scientific examinations are being conducted on the skeletal remains.

However, the identities of the deceased and the period during which they were buried at the site have not yet been established.

Excavation work is currently being carried out under the third phase, for which the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court has authorised 56 days of continuous excavation based on the funds allocated for the operation. With six days remaining from the approved period, excavation work is continuing at the site.

The number of skeletal remains recovered has increased steadily during the excavation. Earlier, officials involved in the operation said 507 sets of human skeletal remains had been identified by the 100th day of excavation, with 501 sets having been fully excavated and recovered at that stage.

Eight new sets of skeletal remains had been identified during the 46th day of the latest excavation phase, bringing the number of identified sets to 507 at the time.

The excavation was conducted under the supervision of Jaffna Magistrate S. Lenin Kumar.

Former Senior Professor of History at the University of Jaffna, Paramu Pushparatnam, had described the discovery as historically significant, saying it was the first known instance in Sri Lanka in which the remains of more than 500 individuals had been recovered from a single mass grave site.

Scientific investigations into the remains are continuing, but no definitive determination has so far been made regarding the identities of those whose remains have been recovered or the period in which the mass burial took place.