At least nine foreigners were among 160 people killed in six near simultaneous and coordinated explosions that rocked three churches and three luxury hotels frequented by tourists in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, in one of the deadliest blasts in the country’s history, officials said.
The blasts targeted St Anthony’s Church in Colombo, StSebastian’s Church in the western coastal town of Negombo and another church inthe eastern town of Batticaloa around 8.45 a.M. (local time) as the EasterSunday mass were in progress, police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said.
Three explosions were reported from the five-star hotels –the Shangri-La, the Cinnamon Grand and the Kingsbury in Colombo. Foreigners andlocals who were injured in hotel blasts were admitted to the Colombo GeneralHospital.
Harsha de Silva, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Economic Reformsand Public Distribution, said that there have been “many casualtiesincluding foreigners.”
“45 people died in Colombo where three hotels and achurch were hit, while more than 90 were killed in Negombo and 27 inBatticaloa,” hospital sources said, adding that more than 450 people wereinjured in the blasts.
Among the 45 bodies at the Colombo National Hospital thereare nine foreigners, they said, adding that Americans and British citizens wereamong the dead.
The Colombo National Hospital spokesperson, Dr SamindiSamarakoon, said more than 300 people have been admitted with injuries.
Dr Kalanidhi Ganeshalingam, the spokesperson for theBatticaloa hospital, said over 100 have been admitted with injuries from StMichael’s Church explosion.
No group has claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attacks.
However, most of the deadly attacks in the past in Sri Lankawere carried out by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) which ran amilitary campaign for a separate Tamil homeland in the northern and easternprovinces of the island nation for nearly 30 years before its collapse in 2009after the Sri Lankan Army killed its supreme leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.
President Maithripala Sirisena has appealed for calm.
“I have been shocked by this totally unexpected incidents.The security forces haven been asked to take all action necessary,”Sirisena said.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe termed the blasts as”cowardly attacks” and said his government was working to”contain the situation.”
“I call upon all Sri Lankans during this tragic time toremain united and strong… The government is taking immediate steps to containthis situation,” he tweeted.
The Sri Lankan government has summoned an emergency meeting.All necessary emergency steps have been taken by the government, Harsha deSilva said.
“Horrible scenes. I saw many body parts strewn allover. Emergency crews are at all locations in full force. We, at 1990 also haveclose to 20 units at the various locations. We took multiple casualties tohospital. Hopefully saved many lives,” he said.
The Indian High Commission in Colombo said that it wasclosely monitoring the situation in Sri Lanka.
“We are closely monitoring the situation. Indiancitizens in need of assistance or help and for seeking clarification may callthe following numbers : +94777903082 +94112422788 +94112422789,” the HighCommission tweeted.
“In addition to the numbers given, Indian citizens inneed of assistance or help and for seeking clarification may also call thefollowing numbers +94777902082 +94772234176,” it said.
The first blasts were reported at St Anthony’s church inColombo and St Sebastian’s Church in Negombo just outside the capital.
“A bomb attack to our church, please come and help ifyour family members are there,” read a post in English on the Facebookpage of the St Sebastian’s Church.
The blasts were followed by explosions at three hotels inColombo and the church in Batticaloa.
Images circulated on social media and TV channels showedseverely damaged St Sebastian’s church building, with a shattered ceiling andblood on the pews.
Heavy security has been deployed at the BandaranaikeInternational Airport after the multiple explosions in the country. The riotpolice and the Special Task Force, extra police security has been deployedaround the airport, state-run Daily Times reported.
Leave of all police personnel has been cancelled in the wakeof blasts.
Doctors, nurses and health officials who were on leave havebeen asked to report to work, Health Ministry sources said.
The government schools have been closed for Monday andTuesday.
Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, under whose leadershipthe Lankan Army crushed the LTTE, termed the attack as “absolutelybarbaric”.
“It is absolutely barbaric to see such violent attackson such a holy day. Whoever is behind these attacks must be dealt withimmediately. My thoughts and prayers are with the families that lost loved onesand all of Sri Lanka,” he said.
“We will not tolerate such violence, such acts ofterrorism, of cowardice within our borders once again. We will stand togetherand rise up against it as one voice. We will stand united as a nation,” hesaid.