Sri Lanka. An eighth explosion in Colombo, provisional death toll of 158, including 35 foreigners

The Christian community of Sri Lanka has just been struck by eight explosions, in the midst of the celebration of Easter. A seventh explosion killed at least two people in a Colombo hotel. These explosions caused the death of at least 158 ​​people, according to the police report which remains provisional. 35 foreigners perished in these attacks.

Several explosions occurred on Sunday in three churches and three hotels in Sri Lanka , notably in the capital Colombo, as the faithful attended Easter mass. Police said a total of eight explosions had been recorded, in three upscale hotels and a church in Colombo, as well as in two other churches near the capital. Two new explosions killed at least two people in a Colombo hotel, local police said late in the morning.

These explosions caused the death of at least 158 ​​people, according to the police report which remains provisional. A police official said on condition of anonymity that at least 45 people were killed in the capital, where three hotels and a church were hit. 67 people were also killed in the Church of Saint Sebastian in Negombo, a town just north of the capital. And 25 others were killed, according to police, in an explosion at a church in Batticaloa, in the east of the island.

At least thirty-five foreigners perished in what Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe called “cowardly attacks” .

At least 160 people were also injured, a hospital official said. “One hundred and sixty people have been admitted and more are arriving,” said an official from the Colombo National Hospital. In addition to the church in Negombo, north of Colombo, a third church, located in Batticaloa (east), was also targeted. An official at the local hospital said 300 people were injured.

The toll could worsen further because there are dozens of injured in this wave of attacks of rare violence, according to hospital sources.

“A coordinated attempt to provoke murders”

The exact nature of these explosions remained unknown for the time being and no claims were made. But the head of the national police, Pujuth Jayasundara, had alerted his services ten days ago indicating that an Islamist movement called NTJ (National Thowheeth Jama’ath) was planning “suicide attacks against important churches and the Indian High Commission. ” .

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said he was shocked by this series of explosions. For his part, Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said on Twitter that the attacks had killed “many innocent people” and seemed “a coordinated attempt to cause killings, chaos and lawlessness” .

The first reported explosions occurred at St. Anthony’s Church in the capital and at the Church of Negombo. Dozens of injured from the St. Anthony blast have been admitted to Colombo National Hospital.

“Attack on our church, please come and help us if any members of your family are there” , can we read in a message in English posted on the Facebook account of the Church of Saint Sebastian of Katuwapitiya , in Negombo (north of Colombo). On the same account, video and footage show bodies lying bloody on the church floor.

“Body parts scattered everywhere”

“Emergency meeting in a few minutes. Relief operations are underway, ” Minister of Economic Reforms Harsha de Silva tweeted. He reported “horrific scenes” at St. Anthony’s Church and in two of the targeted hotels where he visited. “I saw body parts strewn everywhere,” he tweeted, adding that there were “a lot of victims including strangers” .

“Please stay calm and inside,” he added.

This island in the Indian Ocean is overwhelmingly Buddhist, Catholicism being only the fourth religion, after Hinduism and Islam. About 1.2 million Catholics live in Sri Lanka, which has a total population of 21 million. The country has about 70% Buddhists, 12% Hindus, 10% Muslims and 7% Christians.

Catholics are seen as a unifying force because they are found among Tamils ​​as well as among the Sinhalese majority. Some Christians, however, are frowned upon for supporting outside investigations into the Sri Lankan military’s crimes against Tamils ​​during the civil war that ended in 2009.

Aishwarya Yogeshwar

Aishwarya Yogeshwar is the visionary founder of CGI Jaffna, a pioneering organization dedicated to fostering innovation and community growth in the Jaffna region. With a deep passion for news publishing, Aishwarya combines her entrepreneurial spirit with a keen interest in delivering impactful and engaging stories. Her commitment to creating a platform for reliable news and meaningful discourse reflects her dedication to empowering communities through knowledge and information. Aishwarya’s leadership and innovative approach make her a driving force in the world of media and communication.

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