At this stage, the violence was largely limited to assault, looting, and arson. That evening, Prime Minister Bandaranaike made an appeal to the nation calling for peace. However, he implied that Tamils had initiated the riots by only mentioning the killings in the Batticaloa District, particularly D. A. Seneviratne's murder, as a cause of communal violence.
During this period, violence primarily involved assault, looting, and arson. The Prime Minister of the nation made an appeal for peace that evening. However, he suggested that Tamils were responsible for starting the riots by only mentioning the killings in Batticaloa District, particularly the murder of D. A. Seneviratne, as a cause of communal conflict.