A new blast hit the Sri Lanka capital of Colombo on Sunday, police said, the eighth explosion in the country in a single day.
Police said the blast hit the suburb of Orugodawatta in the north of the capital, but there were no further details on what was targeted.
Nearly 160 people have been confirmed dead so far in the string of attacks targeting hotels and churches.
1:10pm – Vladimir Putin denounces Sri Lanka attacks
Russian President Vladimir Putin has denounced a series of attacks on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka as “cruel and cynical.”
In a telegram of condolences sent to his Sri Lankan counterpart, the Russian leader said Moscow remains a “reliable partner of Sri Lanka in the fight against international terrorism.”
He added that the Russians “share the grief of the relatives of those killed and wish a quick recovery to all those who were wounded” after the Easter Sunday blasts that killed at least 138 people.
Putin voiced confidence that “the perpetrators and the masterminds of such a cruel and cynical crime committed amid the Easter festivities will take the punishment they deserve.”
1:06pm – Two dead in seventh blast in Colombo
A fresh blast hit a hotel in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo on Sunday, killing at least two people, a police spokesman said, after a string of explosions at churches and hotels.
Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said the blast hit a hotel in the southern Colombo suburb of Dehiwala. It was the seventh attack to hit the country on Sunday.
12:55pm – Turkey’s president condemns Sri Lanka blasts
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka, calling them “an assault on all of humanity.”
In comments posted on Twitter, Erdogan offered his condolences to families of the victims and to the people of Sri Lanka.
12:30pm – UAE denounces Sri Lanka terrorist attacks
The United Arab Emirates has condemned the terrorist bombings that targeted churches and hotels in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
12:01pm – Narendra Modi, Indian celebrities condemn Sri Lanka church blasts
Indian Prime Minister also condemned the horrific blasts on Sunday. ” There is no place for such barbarism in our region,” he posted on Twitter.
12:13pm – Pakistan PM Imran Khan reacts to Sri Lanka church blasts
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan shared his condolences with the Sri Lankan brethren while strongly condemning the horrific attack.
Three hotels hit by bombings
The three hotels hit were the Shangri-La Colombo, Kingsbury Hotel and Cinnamon Grand Colombo. It was unclear whether there were any casualties in the hotels.
35 foreigners were among the dead, the officials said.
A hospital source said Americans, British and Dutch citizens were among those killed in the six blasts, which also injured hundreds of people.
There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attacks.
Sri Lanka PM condemns ‘cowardly’ attacks
Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe condemned a string of blasts that killed at least 156 people on Sunday as “cowardly” and said the government was working to “contain the situation.”
“I strongly condemn the cowardly attacks on our people today,” he said in a tweet from his verified account.
“I call upon all Sri Lankans during this tragic time to remain united and strong… The government is taking immediate steps to contain this situation.”
I strongly condemn the cowardly attacks on our people today. I call upon all Sri Lankans during this tragic time to remain united and strong. Please avoid propagating unverified reports and speculation. The government is taking immediate steps to contain this situation.
– Ranil Wickremesinghe (@RW_UNP) April 21, 2019
One of the explosions was at St Anthony’s Church in Kochcikade, Colombo.
St. Sebastian’s church posted pictures of destruction inside the church on its Facebook page, showing blood on pews and the floor, and requested help from the public.
Source: Agencies
