Colombo, April 7 (Xinhua) At least five people were killed Saturday morning when a roadside bomb rocked Vavuniya-Mannar Road in northern Sri Lanka, police said.

Police said that the bomb, fixed on a tree, exploded at around 7.15 a.m. (local time) near a passenger bus. Four civilians and a soldier were among the dead while as 28 including seven soldiers were injured.

A senior police official said that the death roll might rise, as the explosion was severe.

On April 2, at least 16 civilians were killed while 26 injured in a bus explosion blamed on the Tamil Tiger rebels in the eastern province.