290 Including 5 Indians Killed In Sri Lanka Serial Blasts, 24 Arrested

Mangalore Today News Network

Colombo, Apr 22, 2019: Five Indians are among the 290 killed in a series of blasts which struck Sri Lanka on Sunday, in the worst violence to hit the island nation since the civil war that ended a decade ago. The powerful blasts - six in quick succession on Easter morning and then two more hours later - wounded around 500 people.

 

This morning, the Indian embassy in Colombo identified two people as G Hanumantharayappa and M Rangappa. On Sunday, Ms Swaraj, in a series of tweets, identified three Indians as Lakshmi, Narayan Chandrashekhar and Ramesh. "Indian High Commission in Colombo has conveyed that National Hospital has informed them about the death of three Indian nationals," she said in a tweet.

Ms Swaraj spoke to her counterpart in Sri Lanka on Sunday.

A sixth name - PS Rasina , a woman from Kerala - was given out by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi. Neither Ms Swaraj nor the Indian High Commission, however, have shared this name.

Dozens of other foreigners, including those from the UK, US, Japan and the Netherlands are believed to be among those dead.

24 people from the minority Muslim community have been arrested. The Lankan government did not share etails of the suspects involved in the attacks. "Don’t give extremists a voice. Don’t help to make them martyrs," said Ruwan Wijewardene, State Minister of Defence.

Eight apparently co-ordinated explosions targeted Easter worshippers and luxury hotels popular with international guests.

Police said the van which had carried explosives to carry out bomb attacks at the three hotels was arrested with its Muslim driver. A safe house where the bombers had lived for nearly three months leading to the attacks were discovered in the south of Colombo suburb of Panadura.

A curfew imposed across Sri Lanka soon after the serial blasts was lifted early this morning.

The United Nations and world leaders condemned Sunday’s attacks.
Sri Lanka’s small Christian minority -- just six percent of the 21 million-strong population -- has been targeted by violence in the past, but never to such brutal effect.


(With inputs from AFP and PTI)