Death toll at more than 200 in Sri Lanka bombings
Authorities say more than 200 have now died in a series of Easter Sunday bomb attacks targeting churches and luxury hotels in Srti Lanka. One of the richest Danish families has lost three children in the attack.
The death toll rose to 207, with more than 400 injured in blasts, which were carried out at three churches and four hotels including the Shangri-La, Kingsbury Hotel and Cinnamon Grand, all in Colombo.
A short time later, a hotel near the Dehiwala Zoo was also bombed as well as a housing complex near Colombo.
Police said more than 50 people had died at St Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya, north of Colombo, while there have been further fatalities in the capital.
Near-simultaneous blasts hit several locations, causing multiple fatalities among worshippers and hotel guests on Sunday morning.
The official said at least two of the church attacks were suspected to have been carried out by suicide bombers.
Explosions also hit St Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo and another place of worship in the eastern town of Batticaloa.
There have been no immediate claims of responsibility.
At least 30 foreign nationals were among the dead. This included five British nationals as well as at least three Indians, two Turkish nationals and two Chinese citizens, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry said.
The UK Foreign Office has advised travellers in the area: “Follow the instructions of local security officials and follow travel advice for updates.”
The US Embassy in Colombo tweeted that travellers should ‘shelter in place and exercise extreme caution’.
Defence minister, Ruwan Wijewardene said seven people were arrested in connection with the ‘cowardly’ attacks.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe imposed an island-wide curfew for Sunday night and has restricted access to major social media sites to avoid inflaming an already tense situation.
“I call upon all Sri Lankans during this tragic time to remain united and strong. Please avoid propagating unverified reports and speculation. The government is taking immediate steps to contain this situation,” the PM said.
Despite the curfew departing travellers can still get to the airport.
“SriLankan Airlines assures passengers of all airlines flying out of Bandaranaike International Airport during the period, that they can reach the airport during their curfew by producing their air tickets and passports to security forces at checkpoints,” the airline said on Twitter.
The airport advises all travellers to arrive at least four hours ahead of their flight due to ramped up security measures in place.
