Sri Lanka reduces Easter blasts death toll; says 253 killed

Sri Lanka on Thursday night revised down the death toll from the Easter Sunday blasts by more than 100, to “about 253”, according to the health ministry.

Authorities earlier said that nine suicide bombers, believedto be members of local Islamist extremist group called National Thowheed Jamath(NTJ), carried out the devastating blasts that killed 359 people and woundedmore than 500 others.

   

However, Dr Anil Jasinghe, the Director General of theHealth Services, said the larger death toll was released as a result of acalculation error.

“The approximate total of the dead would be 253 and not359 as reported in media,” he said.

Jasinghe said that at least 485 injured were admitted to sixhospitals throughout the country.

“By 10 a.M. Today, the casualty number at hospitals hasbeen reduced to 149. Only 6 had died in hospitals,” Jasinghe said.

On April 22, an estimated figure of 280 dead was released.

“As it was not easy to count the correct number of deaddue to extensive damages suffered in some cases, the figures issued were allapproximate numbers,” he said.

Jasinghe said that those who died in the three hotel blastswere mostly beyond recognition as their body parts had suffered comparativelymore damages than those who died at church blasts.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministry said the number of foreigners killed has risen to 40, including 11 Indians.

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