The death toll from the blasts at three Christian churches celebrating Catholic Easter and three hotels in Sri Lanka has been revised to 156, police say. At the same time, hundreds of injured people are estimated to have been transported en masse to hospitals, the competent authorities emphasize.
Two blasts rocked the churches of St. Anthony in Colombo and St. Sebastian in Negombo, a town north of the capital. At least 254 injured people have been hospitalized in Colombo since the blast in Agios Antonios, officials said. Police say the blasts occurred in at least six locations. In the capital was a church and three luxury hotels.
At least one of the victims came from the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo, near the prime minister's residence, one of his officials told AFP, adding that the explosion took place in one of his restaurants. In addition to the church in Negombo, a third was targeted in Batalloa, to the east. A spokesman for the local hospital said more than 300 people had been injured.
In Sri Lanka, with a population of 21 million, there are 1,2 million Christians, representing 7% of the population. 70% of the country embraces Buddhism, 12% Hinduism and 10% are Muslims. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Vikremessinge has called for an emergency meeting of the National Security Council, government sources said.
- Source: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ.