Sri Lanka: Over 25 killed, 200 injured in six deadly blasts at Colombo churches and hotels
Over 25 people killed & more than 200 injured after six explosions rocks Sri Lanka's Colombo. The blast occured at three churches and three hotels during Easter mass, Sri-Lankan media quoted a policeman saying.
The blasts occurred at around 8.45 a.m. (local time) as the Easter Sunday masses were in progress, police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said.
#UPDATE Srilankan media: More than 25 people reported dead & more than 200 injured following several explosions in Colombo pic.twitter.com/qm3vkjT5Ah
— ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2019
The nature of the explosions was not immediately clear. One of the blasts was a St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade of the capital, Colombo. Another explosion took place at a church in Katuwapitiya, Katana was also hit. Sri-Lanka Police also reported explosions at the Shangri-La Hotel and Kingsbury Hotel in the capital.
An explosion reported at the premises of the St. Anthony's Church in Kochchikade Colombo #lka pic.twitter.com/3qlNBvV0Q0
— Aashik Nazardeen (@aashikchin) April 21, 2019
කටුවපිටිය පල්ලියේ කුමක් හෝ පිපීරීමක් 😐 @AzzamAmeen pic.twitter.com/3YlieWOlCa
— Mahesh Madusanka 🇱🇰❤️🇯🇵 (@MaheshNegombo) April 21, 2019
Photos of the explosions are being circulated on Twitter that shows a disoriented Easter Sunday congregation at St Anthony's church and rubble from tiles of the roof strewn over the floor, reported Sri-Lanka media.
"A bomb attack to our church, please come and help if your family members are there," read a post in English on the Facebook page of the St Sebastian's Church at Katuwapitiya in Negombo.
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First published: 21 April 2019, 10:14 IST