A Sri Lankan celebrity chef reportedly killed in the Easter Sunday attacks was pictured having breakfast in the upmarket Shangri-La hotel just minutes before a bomb tore apart the hotel's dining room.
Shantha Mayadunne, an acclaimed chef and television personality, was featured in a photo shared to Facebook by her daughter Nisanga shortly before 9:00am on Sunday, alongside the caption: "Easter breakfast with family".
Minutes later, a suicide blast shattered the luxury hotel in Colombo — one of eight explosions that claimed the lives of almost 300 people.
The veteran chef and her daughter were among those killed in the attacks, according to Sri Lankan news outlet Hiru News.
Thousands of tributes have poured in on social media in the wake of the blast, with "heartbroken" friends and fans offering their condolences.
"Nisanga, you enjoyed your last meal with your Amma, family and friends," one user wrote.
"May you and your Amma rest in eternal peace."
Shantha Mayadunne was one of the island country's most popular television chefs, publishing two books and conducting cooking classes and workshops.
According to her website, she was the first chef to have a live television cooking show in Sri Lanka.
Radha Fonseca, a friend of Nisanga, told Gulf News she was "numbed and shocked" by the attacks.
"Nilanga was a very popular girl in college," she said.
"Besides the fact that she was bright and smart, her mother Shantha Mayadunne, a renowned chef, made her more popular in college.
"She was a well-respected and inspirational chef for Sri Lankans."
The death toll from the attacks on churches and luxury hotels across the nation has risen significantly to 290, with around 500 people injured, police said on Monday.
Sri Lankan authorities have since confirmed they had "prior information" of an imminent attack on churches, up to 10 days before the bombings.
