'49 killed' in Sri Lanka hospital attack

A Sri Lankan health official says 49 patients have been killed in a shelling attack on a hospital in the war zone.

Dr Thurairaja Varatharajah said a single mortar shell hit the hospital admissions ward Tuesday morning. He said he expected the death toll to rise because many of the scores of injured had bad head and stomach wounds.

Varatharajah is the top government health official in the war zone.

The government has denied reports that it is shelling the area.