2019 Sri Lanka Terror Attack - 200 people dead as explosions ripped through three luxury hotels and three churches in Sri Lanka Sunday April 21,2019

  

A series of coordinated explosions has rocked churches and hotels in Sri Lanka killing almost 300 people and more than 500 people have been injured in the worst attack on Easter Sunday April 21,2019

Nearly all victims were Sri Lankan. Dozens of foreigners were also killed.

There were no claims of responsibility for the attacks.

Seven suicide bombers carried out church, hotel attacks

A Sri Lankan government forensic analyst told that six of the bombings on the churches and hotels on Sunday were carried out by seven suicide bombers

Indians, Turks, Britons among victims

The nationalities of 11 foreigners killed in the Easter Sunday blasts have been verified, Sri Lanka's foreign ministry said.

They include three Indians, one Portuguese national, two Turkish nationals, three British nationals and two holding US and British nationalities.

Nine foreigners were reported missing, the statement added

'Temporary' social media ban 

Sri Lanka's government said on Sunday it would impose a "temporary" social media ban in the wake of the blasts

Social media networks and messaging apps, including Facebook and WhatsApp, have been blocked

"The government has decided to block all social media platforms in order to prevent incorrect and wrong information being spread. This is only a temporary measure" Udaya R Seneviratne, secretary to the president said in a statement

Nationwide curfew imposed

Sri Lanka's government imposed a nationwide curfew on Sunday that police said would go into effect immediately and would last "until further notice", in the wake of coordinated attacks

The Cinnamon Grand

The suicide bomber queued up patiently for the five-star hotel's breakfast buffet before mercilessly detonating his explosives.

He had checked in the night before, under the name of Mohamed Azzam Mohamed, giving a false address and saying he was there on business.

The terrorist had a plate in one hand and had just reached the front of the queue when he detonated the device, which was strapped to his back.

The Shangri-La

 

It ripped through the hotel's Table One restaurant, on the third floor, at 9am, shortly after the Cinnamon Grand explosion

Many of the restaurant's windows had been blown out of their panes and electrical wiring could be seen hanging from the ceiling.

The Kingsbury

Pictures showed the shattered window panels and smashed lightshades of the hotel's Ocean restaurant, which had been serving breakfast when the blast struck.

The hotel later released a statement on its Facebook page which said: 'On behalf of the entire Kingsbury team we share in the shock, grief and mourning of our entire nation in the aftermath of the recent attack.

St Anthony's Shrine

The terrorist blast at the church – one of the best-known Christian sites in Colombo – was captured on a dashcam video.

The shocking footage, posted online, shows vehicles travelling along St Anthony's Street in the Kochchikade district alongside the city's port. As the towers of St Anthony's Shrine come into view, seen from the south, a huge plume of grey dust and debris is projected rapidly into the air.

There is also a brief flash of orange flame. A column of smoke continues to rise far above the church towers.

St Sebastian's Church

At least 62 were killed at this Roman Catholic church in Negombo, a city on the west coast where – unlike most of Sri Lanka – Christians form a majority. Pictures of the aftermath of the blast show a statue of Christ splattered with blood

Dismembered bodies were lying on the ground partly covered by tiles which had fallen from the roof. Many of the pews were completely shattered and the church's white floor was marked with blood

The church posted a message on Facebook shortly after the blast which read: 'A bomb attack to our church, please come and help if your family members are there.'

About two thirds of Negombo's population are Roman Catholics.

Zion Church

At least 27 people died in the blast at Zion Church on the east coast city of Batticaloa