TRINCOMALEE, Sri Lanka, April 12 (UPI) -- At least 14 people died in a Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, bomb blast blamed on Tamil rebels and rioting that followed the Wednesday explosion, a report said.
The bombing, at a market, was the fourth in three days in the strife-torn nation where truce talks are scheduled next week, the BBC reported.
While government officials blamed Tamil insurgents for the blasts, Tamil spokesmen denied responsibility.
The four blasts plus Wednesday's riot have killed at least 30 people this week, the report said.
At least 60,000 people have died during two decades of violence in Sri Lanka, where the Tamil minority in northeast Sri Lanka has demanded autonomy.
Cease-fire monitors said the situation was worsening.
"There is a real danger that the violence that erupted today could spread throughout the country, resulting in more innocent people dying, if the two parties do not act quickly to bring the situation under control," the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission said in a statement.
