This live blog has now ended, but our live coverage continues on a new live blog. Click here for the latest coverage of the Sri Lanka bombings.
Updated
Summary
- Sri Lankans have been observing a national day of mourning, marked by a three-minute silence at 8.30am local time.
- The first mass burials from Sunday’s bomb attacks have been taking place in Negombo, where an explosion killed churchgoers at St Sebastian’s.
- The death toll has risen to 310.
- Forty people have been arrested in connection wtih the attacks.
- No group has claimed responsibility for the bombings.
- At midnight local time a state of emergency came into place, giving police additional powers to stop and search.
- The prime minster, Ranil Wickremesinghe, is expected to address parliament today when it convenes.
Updated
More pictures are coming in of the mass burial in Negombo.
A Sri Lankan priest blesses the coffins of bomb blast victims during a funeral service at St Sebastian’s Church in Negombo. Photograph: Ishara S Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images
Updated
The Reuters news agency is reporting that a Syrian national is being questioned by Sri Lankan police over Sunday’s attacks, citing military and government sources. No group has claimed responsibility for the Easter bombings.
Updated
More pictures are being posted of the mass burials taking place in Negombo today, the site of the St Sebastian church blast.
Mass funeral commences at Katuapitiya St. Sebastian church, the scene of the heinous terrorist attack #SriLanka #lka #EasterSundayAttacksLK pic.twitter.com/phn0BgXrnl
— Vidiyal.lk (@Vidiyallk) April 23, 2019
The Sri Lankan news outlet News 1st is reporting that the hospital in Negombo where the blast at St Sebastian’s church took place, is running out of freezers to store bodies of Sunday’s victims. It reports that the District General Hospital is now using mobile freezers.
Negombo Hospital running out of freezers to store dead bodieshttps://t.co/wooqERcfu0#lka #SriLanka #EasterSundayAttacksLK #EasterAttackLK
— News 1st (@NewsfirstSL) April 23, 2019
There continues to be a strong security presence in Colombo and Negombo where churches were hit by blasts on Sunday.
Burials are taking place for the victims of Sunday’s attacks.
Updated
Sri Lankan police have quickly confirmed the suspicious package (mentioned below) is not dangerous. It seems people are being understandably vigilant about anything suspicious as tensions remain high in Colombo following Sunday’s attacks.
Updated
Sri Lankan media outlet RepublicNext is reporting that the bomb disposal squad has been called to Kollupitiya railway station in Colombo after an unattended package was found in a compartment of a Puttalam-Mount Lavinia train.
Scenes from the developing story at the Kollupitiya railway station, where an unattended package has been discovered in one of the ladies' compartments of a Puttalam-Mount Lavinia train. #lka pic.twitter.com/qXoZB96FGo
— RepublicNext (@RepublicNext) April 23, 2019
Agence France-Presse is reporting that 40 people have now been arrested in relation to Sunday’s attacks, citing a police spokesman.
One of the suicide bombers who blew himself up in an attack last Sunday had been a suspect who was arrested a few months ago in connection with an incident in Mawanella in which Buddha statues were damaged, highways minister Kabir Hashim said at a press conference on Monday night.
“One of my security officers was attacked in the incident. A few suspects were arrested and some of them were released later. It was found that one of them had been the suicide bomber of an attack that took place last Sunday. I am in the process of receiving more information on this,” he said.
The first memorial services for victims of Sunday’s blasts are expected to take place on Tuesday. They will follow the three minutes of silence observed at 8.30am local time during which most flags on most government buildings were lowered to half mast.
Updated
Death toll rises
The death toll from Sunday’s attacks is now 310, a police spokesman has said.
Summary
- Sri Lankans have observed three minutes of silence at the start of a national day of mourning for the victims of Sunday’s bomb attacks.
- The death toll remains just under 300, with some 500 injured.
- Parliament will resume on Tuesday with a statement expected from the prime minister.
- A second night of national curfew lifted at 4am local time but a state of emergency came into force at midnight on Monday night.
- Local victims and those injured are to receive financial compensation.
- No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks but questions continue to be asked about what the Sri Lankan government knew about the bombings prior to Sunday. On Monday it emerged that authorities were warned of possible incidents two weeks ago.
- A blackout on social media in Sri Lanka continues.
- Interpol has deployed a response at the request of Sri Lankan authorities.
Updated
As Sri Lankans mark three minutes of silence, the prime minister has paid tribute to the military and police in their handling of the crisis. Ranil Wickremesinghe said it was “imperative that we remain unified in as Sri Lankans in the face of this unspeakable tragedy”.
— Ranil Wickremesinghe (@RW_UNP) April 23, 2019
Details are emerging of the emergency powers enacted by the president in SriLanka. The regulations authorise detention as well as search powers. It also includes the provision that:
No emergency regulation, and no order, rule or direction made or given thereunder shall be called in question by any court.
The provisions of the PSO that came into effect as of midnight. pic.twitter.com/XiEiXy9Bm8
— Thishya Weragoda (@ThishWera) April 22, 2019
Cont (2) pic.twitter.com/ej3bLX3QiV
— Thishya Weragoda (@ThishWera) April 22, 2019
The Indian newspaper The Hindu, carries an editorial on the Sri Lanka attacks today with the headline “Sunday, bloody Sunday”. It describes the bombings as a “monumental tragedy for a country that is trying to live down the strife that lasted more than a quarter century”.
#Srilanka: Sunday, bloody Sunday: @the_hindu editorial on
— Meera Srinivasan (@Meerasrini) April 23, 2019
Easter blasts https://t.co/lPr5SW5KBl#lka #SriLankaBlasts
The overnight curfew has been lifted in Sri Lanka, as people prepare for three minutes of silence today to mark the attacks. Security remains tight around many sites, as you can see below.
Sri Lanka’s Daily Mirror newspaper carries a tribute to victims of Sunday’s bombings on its front page.
Tuesday 23rd April 2019
— ⓒⓕ (@cfbcity) April 22, 2019
The Sri Lankan Daily Mirror front page:
In remembrance of all those who lost their lives on 21.04.2019#SriLanka #SriLankaAttacks #frontpagestoday #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/iEd0v5cs3U
Sri Lankans have begun a national day of mourning, as declared by the President Maithripala Sirisena. Three minutes of silence will be observed at 8.30am local time.
Updated
According to Sri Lankan media outlet Daily News, local victims of the bomb blasts are to receive compensation. It quoted the health and nutrition and Indigenous medicine minister Rajitha Senaratne, announcing the scheme:
The government has decided to pay Rs.100,000 (US$570) as funeral expenses and Rs. one million (US$5,700) for the families of those who died as compensation. Those who have injured will receive compensation ranging from Rs.100,000 to Rs.300,000 according to the severity of the injury.
The minister added that the churches damaged in the blasts would be renovated with government funds.
Updated
In New York the UN security council condemned the Sri Lanka attacks “in the strongest possible terms”.
The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government of Sri Lanka and they wished a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured.
The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security.
China has warned its nationals against travelling to Sri Lanka. Beijing is a major investor in Sri Lanka. If Chinese nationals insist on travelling to Sri Lanka, it would be difficult for the embassy to provide effective assistance in view of the “huge security risks” involved, the Chinese embassy said in a statement on its website.
Sri Lankan stock exchange to reopen
Trading on Colombo’s stock exchange will resume on Tuesday morning at 10.30am, according to the government’s official news portal.
Updated
Social media blackout continues
The blocks on social media aps, including Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram are still in place. Twitter also appears to be blocked. The Associated Press has reported that YouTube, Snapchat and Viber have also been affected. The authorities said the blocks were put in place to stop the spread of misinformation online.
Updated
Sri Lankan parliament to convene on Tuesday
Sri Lanka’s business paper, the Daily FT, is reporting that parliament will be “summoned” today in order to allow the Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, to make a statement about the Easter Sunday bomb attacks.
National day of mourning
Sri Lankans will observe a national day of mourning on Tuesday, to grieve the loss of nearly 300 people killed in Easter Sunday’s bomb attacks on hotels and churches.
Updated
Australia has also updated its travel advice for Sri Lanka, cautioning people to “reconsider your need to travel”. It confirms access to the airport for those wanting to travel out of Colombo:
Passengers of all airlines flying out of Bandaranaike International Airport during the period can reach the airport during curfew by producing their air tickets and passports to security forces at check points. Departing passengers are requested to arrive four hours before their flight. Authorities have also confirmed that arrangements have been put in place for arriving passengers.
In the UK, Press Association is reporting that flags will fly at half mast outside Downing Street and the Foreign Office building on Tuesday in mourning for the victims of the attack. It’s believed members of three British families died in the bomb blasts.
UK travel advice for Sri Lanka
British travel advice to Sri Lanka was updated on Monday. As well as urging travellers to follow local security advice, hotel security staff and tour companies, the Foreign Office gave information on those wanting to travel in and out of Colombo airport. It said:
The Sri Lankan authorities have confirmed that, if you need to catch a flight from Colombo airport, you are able to travel to the airport provided you have both passport and ticket valid for travel that day. They have also confirmed that arrangements have been put in place for arriving passengers.
You can see the full advice on the FCO’s Twitter account here.
Updated
Who carried out the bomb attacks?
After news emerged on Monday that Sri Lankan authorities were warned of possible attacks two weeks ago, attention has focussed on who could be behind the bomb blasts.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks but according to the Sri Lankan cabinet spokesman and health minister, Rajitha Senaratne, who gave a press conference on Monday afternoon, an intelligence memo warning about the attacks named the radical Islamist group National Thowheeth Jama’ath as planning suicide bomb attacks on churches. However it’s unclear if any new information has emerged since the attacks that establishes if that organisation is responsible.
You can read our full story about the warning of attacks here.
Updated
The international police organisation, Interpol, is deploying a response team to Sri Lanka at the request of local authorities to help with the investigation into the bombings.
Summary
Hello, this is Alison Rourke taking over the live blog on the Sri Lanka bomb attacks. Let’s start with a summary of what we know.
Here’s what we know so far:
- The death toll from Easter Sunday’s attacks on churches and hotels stands at 290, with at least 500 injured.
- The vast majority of those who lost their lives were Sri Lankan. It’s thought as many as 40 foreign nationals may also have been killed.
- A state of emergency came into force at midnight local time on Monday, giving police and military special powers, including detention without a court order.
- A night-time curfew remains in place.
- On Tuesday President Maithripala Sirisena is expected to meet with foreign diplomats to “to seek international assistance to combat terrorism”.
Updated
Both the Daily Mail and the Times are quoting relatives of British siblings, 19-year-old Daniel Linsey and 15-year-old Amelie Linsey, as saying they were killed in the blasts.
Both papers report that the teenagers were with their father in a restaurant when the first explosion hit. They reportedly survived that but were killed by a second blast as they tried to escape.
The Mail quotes their older brother, David, while the Times has spoken to their father, Matthew. The victims’ sibling told the Mail:
They were due to fly home that day and had been having breakfast when the first bomb went off. My dad said they were all caught up in a second explosion as they tried to escape. Both my brother and sister were instantly unconscious and were taken to hospital but they never woke up. My dad is shocked and has not said much apart from that. He is trying to be strong for my little brother, who is 12, and my mum.
He told the paper his father believed Amelie to be less severely hurt when he found the two teenagers because she had no obvious major physical injuries. According to both papers, the siblings were given medical attention, but were later pronounced dead. Their brother told the Mail:
I can’t describe just how devastating it is. You don’t think it will happen to you. We miss them so much already.
Their father is also quoted by the Times as saying they tried to escape after the first blast, only to be caught up in the second.
Their identities have not been officially confirmed by the authorities in either the UK or Sri Lanka.
Updated
Relatives confirm identities of Britons killed in Sri Lanka
The family of Dr Sally Bradley have remembered a “loyal and hardworking woman that lived for adventure” as they confirmed she was killed, along with her husband Bill Harrop, in the atrocity in Sri Lanka.
Her nephew has said:
On 21 April 2019, Dr Sally Bradley was killed, alongside her husband Bill Harrop, in Sri Lanka. They were staying at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel when a suicide bomber decided to take their lives in a cowardly and senseless act.
Dr Sally Bradley was a kind, loyal and hardworking woman that lived for adventure. She was the personification of joy that life could bring if you approached it with a smile on your face and warmth in your heart. She dedicated her professional life to public service and was a true daughter of Greater Manchester.
After graduating from the University of Manchester Medical School, she was a GP in Salford, a Director of Public Health in Manchester and then the Medical Director of Pennine Acute NHS Trust, before travelling to Australia with her husband Bill, a decorated firefighter in Greater Manchester, where she continued to practice medicine.
Their aim was always to experience life to the fullest. Kindred spirits, they travelled the world together, safe in each other’s arms and with smiles across their faces. They were the heartbeat of their families and the inspiration in their lives. They will be forever sorely missed, but never forgotten.
Sally Bradley’s brother, the Labour peer Lord Keith Bradley, has added:
This immensely tragic event will be something my family will never truly get over. I have lost a sister, who was not only an inspiration to me, but someone that was respected and loved across Greater Manchester.
Over the last 24 hours, I have been inundated with beautiful tributes to a remarkable and wondrous woman. She was truly a bright light in many people’s lives. The light may have been cruelly distinguished for no reason or justification, but she will always live in our hearts and the memories she provided will be forever cherished. I, and my family, will miss her more than words can articulate.
Updated
The Press Association is now quoting Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service’s Dave Keelan, a former colleague of Billy Harrop, as saying:
This is devastating news and the thoughts of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service are with Bill and Sally’s families. Bill served here for 30 years, retiring at the end of 2012. He was a much a loved and respected colleague and friend. He will be greatly missed.
Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has offered his condolences after the deaths of two Spanish citizens. My love and solidarity to the friends and relatives of the two young people from Pontecesures who died in the Sri Lanka attacks,” he tweeted. “Our heart is with all the victims of this cruel attack.”
There are numerous reports that two of the British people killed in the atrocity were Billy Harrop, a highly respected former firefighter, and his wife Sally, from Greater Manchester. According to the Manchester Evening News (MEN), their son Gavin survived the attack.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has declined to confirm or deny the reports but the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has tweeted its condolences:
Our thoughts are with Billy’s family, friends and former colleagues at this sad time #WeRemember #SriLanka https://t.co/pyCIt9V5x9
— Fire Brigades Union (@fbunational) April 22, 2019
The MEN also quotes two FBU officials who paid tribute to the couple. Gary Keary, the union’s brigade secretary, said:
The FBU is shocked and saddened to hear of the loss of former firefighter Billy Harrop and his wife in the tragic events in Sri Lanka. The FBU sends its deepest condolences to his family and friends.
And Kev Brown, former Fire Brigades Union secretary, said:
Billy was a former pupil of Sale Grammar School, was well known in the brigade, and was a real character. He led the Philips Park team in response to the IRA bomb in Manchester 1996 and received a commendation for his actions in the incident.
Updated
Two Swiss nationals among the dead
According to the Reuters news agency, the Swiss federal department of foreign affairs (FDFA) has said two of the country’s citizens were among those killed in the bomb attacks.
One of the individuals also held citizenship of a second country, a spokeswoman said. A third member of the family, who did not have Swiss citizenship, also died in the explosions, she added. The Sri Lankan parents of a Swiss-Sri Lankan family also died in the attacks, she said.
“The FDFA is in contact with relatives and supports them with consular protection,” the spokeswoman said. She did not provide any more details about the victims.
Father pays tribute to wife and children killed in attacks
Ben Nicholson has released an emotional statement paying tribute to his wife and two children; all three of whom were killed in an explosion at the restaurant where they were eating.
Following reports in the media over the past 36 hours, my family and I wish to confirm that my wife Anita, our son Alex (age 14) and our daughter Annabel (age 11) were killed in the bombing of the restaurant of the Shangri-la Hotel, Colombo on Sunday morning while sitting at our table. Mercifully, all three of them died instantly and with no pain or suffering.
I am deeply distressed at the loss of my wife and children. Anita was a wonderful, perfect wife and a brilliant, loving and inspirational mother to our two wonderful children. The holiday we had just enjoyed was a testament to Anita’s enjoyment of travel and providing a rich and colourful life for our family, and especially our children.
Alex and Annabel were the most amazing, intelligent, talented and thoughtful children and Anita and I were immensely proud of them both and looking forward to seeing them develop into adulthood. They shared with their mother the priceless ability to light up any room they entered and bring joy to the lives of all they came into contact with.
I would like to give my sincere thanks for the medical teams at General Hospital, Colombo, for treating Anita, Alex and Annabel with great dignity and me with kindness and sympathy. I would also like to thank the teams at the British Consulate and Adhvan Tours who have looked after me since Sunday morning and the Sri Lankan people I have encountered in Colombo following this catastrophe.
Anita, Alex and Annabel leave behind a large extended family and many close and cherished friends who are now grieving this tragic loss. We shall all miss them dearly. We are all grateful for the many expressions of support and good wishes. We would ask that the media now respect our privacy and allow us to grieve together.
Scotland Yard has released a statement following the attacks. Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Dean Haydon, the senior national coordinator for counter-terrorism policing, said:
My thoughts and condolences are with the people of Sri Lanka and all those who have been affected by the devastating attacks that took place yesterday, which has claimed the lives of hundreds of people.
We now also know that at least eight British people were killed during the attacks and Counter Terrorism Policing is working with our colleagues from the Foreign Office to support the families affected.
A number of churches were targeted during the attacks but we stand together with communities of all faiths, and we will continue to work with our communities and our partners to counter the threat no matter where it comes from.
Together with our intelligence partners we continually monitor the varied threats we face, including to and around places of worship and specific communities across the country, to ensure we have the most appropriate protective security measures in place to keep people safe.
Officers across the UK regularly engage with communities of all faiths, giving advice on how people and places can protect themselves and this work will continue.
I would urge places of worship to also carry out our online training package ‘ACT Awareness eLearning’ for advice on Protective Security and how to react should the worst happen. It can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/act-awareness-elearning. I’d also encourage everyone to be aware of our Run, Hide, Tell advice.
We stand together with Sri Lankan communities and all those who have been affected and left shocked and horrified by these attacks in Sri Lanka.
Two Spanish citizens among the dead
Spain’s foreign ministry said two of the country’s citizens were among those killed in Sri Lanka.
Earlier, the mayor of the town of Pontecesures, in the northern Galicia region, told the Spanish news agency EFE that the dead were a couple aged 31 and 32 who had been on holiday on the island.
The Spanish government offered no further details.
Afternoon summary
The nationwide curfew is about to begin in Sri Lanka so news from the island might slow down. Please refresh the live blog as I have been adding to posts throughout the day.
Here’s what we know so far:
- At least 290 people have been killed and 500 injured by a series of eight explosions targeting churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on Sunday night.
- 24 people have been arrested, and the defence minister Ruwan Wijewardene said the culprits were religious extremists, but no group has yet claimed responsibility.
- The prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, said security services had been “aware of information” of a possible attack up to 10 days ago planned by the radical Islamist group National Thowheeth Jama’ath, and said the government “must look into why adequate precautions were not taken”. Sri Lankan cabinet spokesman, Rajitha Senaratne, later said authorities were warned on 4 April.
- Most of the dead are believed to have been Sri Lankans, but roughly 30 foreign citizen have been confirmed killed, including eight British nationals, three Indians and one Japanese citizen, and others.
- The government has shut down social media and messaging services to prevent the spread of misinformation, which has hammered efforts by friends and family from outside Sri Lanka to make contact with loved ones.
- The coordinated attacks began with seven initial explosions – at four hotels and three churches – with another explosion later detonated while suspects fled from police.
- Defence minister Wijewardene said suicide bombers were responsible for the majority of the bombings.
Updated
Trump calls Sri Lankan PM Wickremesinghe
US president Donald Trump called the Sri Lankan prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday to express condolences to the Sri Lankan people. The attack is one of the deadliest terrorist events since 9/11.
Here’s the full readout from the White House.
The White House says Trump spoke to the prime minister of Sri Lanka: pic.twitter.com/6V5oRNKnPW
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 22, 2019
Sri Lankans search for missing loved ones
Sri Lankans scoured hospitals and morgues for missing loved ones on Monday, a day after suicide bomb attacks on churches holding Easter services and luxury hotels killed 290 people and wounded about 500.
Outside the national hospital in Colombo, a woman named Rameshwary said she was searching for a 17-year-old friend who attended morning mass at St. Anthony’s Shrine, one of three Catholic churches hit in the coordinated attack.
“We kept calling her after we heard of the incident, but there was no response,” she said, showing a photograph of the missing girl on her mobile phone.
Sri Lanka is predominately Buddhist but its 22 million people include Christians, Muslims and Hindus.
The military for decades battled ethnic minority Tamil separatists, most of them Hindu, but violence had largely ended since a government victory 10 years ago.
No group claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attacks.
Colombo, the seaside capital of the Indian Ocean island, was jittery on Monday, with rumours of more blasts spooking residents as police searched for the bombers. Another device exploding while a bomb squad tried to defuse it.
A curfew for a second night went into effect at 8 p.m.
Most of the 290 dead and 500 wounded were Sri Lankans although government officials said 32 foreigners were killed. Many of the dead have yet to be identified.
Catholic priests joined relatives and friends trying to put names to the dead at one mortuary.
A man said a friend was searching for his sister, Kiruba, who had gone to Sunday mass. They looked for her at the bombed church and a nearby hospital, but had found no trace.
“That’s why we came here,” the man told Reuters Television.
Five Indian political party workers among the dead
At least five workers from an Indian political party on holiday after working on India’s general election were among some 290 people killed in bomb attacks in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, a government official said.
Another two from a seven-member group from the party, the Janata Dal Secular (JDS), were missing. The group was on an outing after voting took place on Thursday in India’s general election in the southern state of Karnataka.
They were staying at the Shangri-La hotel in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo. A suicide bomber attacked the hotel as guests sat down to a buffet breakfast.
“They were having breakfast on the second floor when the blast occurred,” Rajath B, a family friend of one of the victims, KG Hanumantharayappa, told Reuters.
Family in India got to know of the blast from the television.”
The JDS is part of the ruling coalition in Karnataka state.
It is contesting the general election in an alliance with India’s main opposition Congress party. The staggered general election began on April 11 and will end on May 19.
The party’s leader, who is also Karnataka’s chief minister, H D Kumaraswamy, said he was deeply pained by the loss.
“They were ... committed workers of our party and their death has brought immense sorrow to us,” he said on Twitter.
Thirty-two foreigners were killed in the bomb attacks on churches holding Easter Sunday services and upmarket hotels.
No group has claimed responsibility but suspicion is focusing on Islamist militants. At least seven Indians were killed, Indian officials said.
Updated
CNN: at least four US citizens killed in terror attacks
At least four US nationals were killed in the coordinated suicide attacks across Sri Lanka yesterday, a US official has told CNN. It was unclear if the death toll includes the two US-UK nationals who were among the eight UK citizens that died in the attacks.
The Queen sends message to victims
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip have issued a statement following the Easter Sunday attacks.
The 93-year-old monarch said:
Prince Philip and I were deeply saddened to learn of the attacks in Sri Lanka and send our condolences to the families and friends of those who have lost their lives.
I pay tribute to the medical and emergency services who are providing support to those who have been injured. Our thoughts and prayers are with all Sri Lankans at this difficult time.
In a separate statement, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said:
We have been deeply saddened to learn of the devastating attacks in Sri Lanka this Easter Sunday.
Senseless acts like these in places that people would expect to be at their safest are truly horrifying.
Our hearts go out to the families and friends of those who have lost their lives, to the Christian community, and to the people of Sri Lanka at this tragic time. You are all in our thoughts and prayers.
The Prince of Wales has sent the following message to The President of Sri Lanka.
— Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) April 22, 2019
Read the message here https://t.co/PE44dXg2dF
Updated
First US citizen killed in the attacks named as Dieter Kowalski
The education publishing company Pearson said their employee Dieter Kowalski was killed in the terror attacks in Sri Lanka on Sunday, the first US national to be named.
Kowalski, a senior leader of the company’s operation services team, was killed in an explosion just after he arrived at his hotel in Colombo.
Pearson CEO John Fallon paid tribute to his “big-hearted and full-spirited” colleague in an open letter to staff.
CNN: Dieter Kowalski from Colorado was identified as one of the Americans killed in the attacks in Colombo, Sri Lanka on Sunday, according to Pearson, the education publishing company that Kowalski worked for. RIP pic.twitter.com/IVuNQQss84
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) April 22, 2019
Updated
Foreign office confirms eight British nationals among the dead
The UK foreign office has confirmed that eight British nationals were killed in the Easter Sunday attacks. The statement comes after the Sri Lankan high commissioner to the UK, Manisha Gunasekera, reported the deaths earlier on Monday.
Sadly, we can now confirm that at least 8 British Nationals were killed in yesterday’s horrific attacks in #Srilanka. Our deepest condolences go to all those who lost loved ones and have been affected by this tragedy.
— UKinSriLanka🇬🇧🇱🇰 (@UKinSriLanka) April 22, 2019
The Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe has sent his condolences to the victims of Sunday’s suicide bombings. One Japanese citizen died in the attacks.
I would like to offer my prayers for the victims of the attacks, as well as my heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and my sympathies to the wounded.
Japan expresses sincere solidarity with Sri Lankan people to overcome this difficult time.
Such act of terrorism cannot be justified and Japan firmly condemns it. Japan is firmly committed to combatting terrorism in cooperation with Sri Lanka and the international community.
Updated
An update from our south Asia correspondent, who was near the controlled explosion outside a church in Colombo.
There was chaos outside St Anthony’s Church on Monday afternoon after a suspicious package was discovered inside the dense neighbourhood that surrounds the house of worship that was gutted by a bomb on Easter Sunday.
People ran screaming from their homes carrying their children as police ran the other direction brandishing their rifles. A short time after, police detained a youth in a green T-shirt, stripping him of his watch and searching under his clothes before they tried to haul him towards a police car. But they were blocked by a mob that quickly formed and started beating the man, forcing the police to take shelter with him inside the nearest building. The angry crowd tried to force its way inside the building for several minutes.
“See how we are living?” said one man, as people ran past him screaming and in tears. “How can we manage like this?”
A few minutes later, a sharp explosion was heard from the neighbourhood, sparking new waves of fear. Police said the sound was their bomb disposal units defusing a suspicious package that had been found in a van parked near the church. There was thick smoke in the air afterwards and two ambulances arrived at the scene with screaming sirens.
Police have now clarified it was a controlled explosion of a suspicious package found in a van https://t.co/wWfvpYHmeQ
— michael safi (@safimichael) April 22, 2019
Small explosion near church in Colombo
An explosion went off on Monday in a van near a church in Sri Lanka where scores were killed the previous day, when bomb squad officials were trying to defuse it, a Reuters witness said.
“The van exploded when the bomb defusing unit of the STF (Special Task Force) and air force tried to diffuse the bomb,” the witness said.
Security force spokesman were not immediately available for comment.
The Guardian’s Michael Safi was nearby and posted these videos on Twitter.
Huge panic just now outside St Anthony’s church. People fleeing the scene in terror amid reports a suspicious package was discovered pic.twitter.com/1gUuKEEYjk
— michael safi (@safimichael) April 22, 2019
This young man has just been arrested outside St Anthony’s church. As police took him away people formed a mob around him, and police are now sheltering him inside a building. Visceral rage and fear pic.twitter.com/ltarDXFwab
— michael safi (@safimichael) April 22, 2019
Small explosion outside St Anthony’s church right now. People fleeing the scene pic.twitter.com/GjadgTwoZ5
— michael safi (@safimichael) April 22, 2019
Updated
Pope Francis has condemned the Easter Sunday attacks on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka once again, describing the suicide bombings as “terrorist acts, inhuman acts” that could never be justified.
It was the second straight day that he spoke out about the attacks from the Vatican, which killed many Christians on Easter Sunday, the most important Christian feast day.
Some analysis from the Guardian’s former south Asia correspondent.
Sri Lankan officials on Monday blamed a small local group called National Towheed Jamaat for Sunday’s horrific bomb attacks. It is unclear whether this assertion is based on new information discovered by investigators since the atrocity or on a notice circulated by Sri Lankan police 10 days before the blasts which said the group was planning suicide strikes against churches.
There is a similarly named Islamist organisation active on the island nation – the Sri Lankan Towheed Jamaat (SLTJ). It is unclear if this group is the one referred to by the warning, which was based on information passed to the Sri Lankans by a foreign intelligence service, believed to be either Indian or US.
The SLTJ is small, based in the east of Sri Lanka, has been involved in extremist rhetoric as well as being linked to acts of vandalism against Buddhist religious statues. Its name describes a movement for the unity of God, a favourite label adopted by Islamic militants and a key concept in conservative strands of Islam.
Analysts point out that multiple suicide bombings of six or possibly more targets requires a significant logistic operation and months of planning. Such attackers may detonate their devices alone, but need careful management by handlers to keep them committed in the days and weeks before. Large quantities of military-grade explosives would also have been necessary, as well as safe houses and bomb-making workshops.
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Sri Lankan police found 87 bomb detonators at the main bus station in the capital, Colombo, on Monday, a spokesman confirmed.
Security forces are carrying out searches across the island to find those behind the suicide attacks.
Police have recovered 87 low-explosive detonators from the Bastian Mawatha Private Bus Station in Pettah
— Azzam Ameen (@AzzamAmeen) April 22, 2019
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If you are just joining us and want more in-depth reporting on the latest news from Sri Lanka, here’s where you need to go on the Guardian website.
A summary of what we know so far
The latest news report
Sri Lankan authorities were warned two weeks before the Easter Sunday attacks, and had the names of suspects, a cabinet spokesman has said, as the death toll from the string of bombings rose to 290, with about 500 injured, report Hannah Ellis-Petersen and Michael Safi.
The victims
A British woman and her two children are feared to be among eight victims from the UK killed in a wave of suicide bombings in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday that left nearly 300 people dead.
The billionaire fashion tycoon Anders Holch Povlsen behind online clothing retailer Asos lost three of his four children in the suicide attacks.
The survivors
Sri Lankan government to declare nationwide emergency
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena will declare a nationwide emergency from midnight on Monday following the Easter Sunday suicide bomb blasts at churches and luxury hotels, his media team have confirmed.
The government has decided to gazette the clauses related to prevention of terrorism to emergency regulation and gazette it by midnight.
President Sirisena also said the island would request foreign assistance to help track international links to National Thowheeth Jama’ath, a newly formed radical islamist group in Sri Lanka who are strong proponents of the global jihadist movement, that have been linked to the attacks.
The intelligence reports [indicate] that foreign terrorist organisations are behind the local terrorists. Therefore, the president is to seek the assistance of the foreign countries.
Authorities in Sri Lanka were warned two weeks before the Easter Sunday attacks, the government has confirmed, and had the names of suspects.
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Sri Lankan government: 'international network' involved in the bombings
More details are starting to emerge about the perpetrators of the Easter Sunday bomb attacks in Sri Lanka.
A government spokesman for the island has said the coordinated blasts were carried out with the help of an international network.
Cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said:
We do not believe these attacks were carried out by a group of people who were confined to this country. There was an international network without which these attacks could not have succeeded.
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Three children of ASOS billionaire killed in the attacks
Three children of the Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen died in Sunday’s attacks, according to the clothing company Bestseller, which he owns.
In the days before the blasts, Alma, one of their children, shared a picture of her siblings next to a swimming pool in Sri Lanka. It is not known which of the four children died in the bombings.
The Holch Povlsens are Scotland’s largest largest private landowners and are trying to restore the Highlands in a huge re-wilding program across Sutherland and the Grampian mountains.
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Sri Lanka warned about local jihadi group
Sri Lankan authorities were warned two weeks before the Easter Sunday attacks, and had the names of suspects, a cabinet spokesman has said, as the death toll from the string of bombings rose to 290, with about 500 injured.
“Fourteen days before these incidents occurred, we had been informed about these incidents,” Rajitha Senaratne told a press conference in Colombo on Monday.
“On the 9th of April, the chief of national intelligence wrote a letter and in this letter many of the names of the members of the terrorist organisation were written down.”
Senaratne said the intelligence memo warning about the attacks had named the radical islamist group National Thowheeth Jama’ath as the perpetrators.
National Thowheeth Jama’ath is a newly formed radical islamist group in Sri Lanka who are strong proponents of the global jihadist movement. They are known for being a virulently anti-Buddhist and have been linked to the vandalisation of Buddhist statues, with four of their members arrested in January.
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British woman and her two children feared to be among the eight UK victims
The Sri Lankan high commissioner to the UK, Manisha Gunasekera, said eight British nationals were killed in the attacks. The UK foreign office has not commented so far.
Anita Nicholson, a 42-year-old lawyer, and her son, Alex, 11, are thought to have died when a suicide bomber detonated his device in the breakfast queue at the Shangri-La hotel in Colombo, according to reports. Her husband Ben, 43, is feared to be the only survivor from the family as the couple’s daughter Annabel has not been accounted for, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Monday summary: what we know so far
Welcome to our continuing coverage of the Easter Sunday suicide attacks in Sri Lanka, which left nearly 300 people dead and many more injured. I’ll be keeping you updated on developments from the island.
Please read The Guardian’s most recent report on the attacks from Hannah Ellis-Petersen and Michael Safi.
Here’s what we know so far:
- At least 290 people have been killed and 500 injured by a series of eight explosions targeting churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on Sunday night.
- 24 people have been arrested, and the defence minister Ruwan Wijewardene said the culprits were religious extremists, but no group has yet claimed responsibility.
- The prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, said security services had been “aware of information” of a possible attack up to 10 days ago, and said the government “must look into why adequate precautions were not taken”. Sri Lankan cabinet spokesman, Rajitha Senaratne, later said authorities were warned on 4 April.
- Most of the dead are believed to have been Sri Lankans, but roughly 30 foreign citizen have been confirmed killed, including eight British nationals, three Indians and one Japanese citizen, and others.
- The government has shut down social media and messaging services to prevent the spread of misinformation, which has hammered efforts by friends and family from outside Sri Lanka to make contact with loved ones.
- The coordinated attacks began with seven initial explosions – at four hotels and three churches – with another explosion later detonated while suspects fled from police.
- Defence minister Wijewardene said suicide bombers were responsible for the majority of the bombings.
- World leaders including Narendra Modi, Imran Khan, Jacinda Ardern, Theresa May, Donald Tusk, Jean-Claude Juncker and Vladimir Putin condemned the attacks.
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