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‘Keeping close watch’: Sushma Swaraj tweets after 138 killed in Sri Lanka blasts
The churches hit were in the north of the capital and the town of Negombo, just outside Colombo. The first explosions were reported at St Anthony’s Church in Colombo and St Sebastian’s in the town of Negombo.
After multiple explosions rocked high-end hotels and two churches during Easter Mass in Sri Lanka on Sunday morning, killing at least 42 people and injuring another 280, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj expressed concern about the situation in the island nation.
“I am in constant touch with the Indian High Commissioner in Colombo. We are keeping a close watch on the situation,” Swaraj said in a tweet.
The churches hit were in the north of the capital and the town of Negombo, just outside Colombo. The first explosions were reported at St Anthony’s Church in Colombo and St Sebastian’s in the town of Negombo.
The blasts occurred at around 8.45 am (local time) as the Easter Sunday masses were in progress in churches.
At least 160 people injured in the St Anthony’s blast have been admitted to the Colombo National Hospital, an official told AFP.
Shortly after those blasts were reported, the police confirmed three hotels in the capital had also been hit, along with a church in the town of Batticalao, in the east of the country.
Photos circulating on social media showed the roof of one church had been almost blown off in the blast. The floor was littered with a mixture of roof tiles, splintered wood and blood.
