Three Indians among those killed in series explosions in Colombo, informs Sushma Swaraj

There were at least three Indian nationals among those killed in a series of blasts which took place in Sri Lanka’s Colombo earlier today.

Ministry of External Affairs condemned the serial blasts in Sri Lanka. (Image: Getty)

Sri Lanka blasts: There were at least three Indian nationals among those killed in a series of blasts which took place in Sri Lanka’s Colombo earlier today, India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj informed. As of now, 215 people have been killed and over 500 injured in a total of eight blasts that happened in churches and hotels on Easter Sunday. Taking to Twitter, Swaraj said: “Indian High Commission in Colombo has conveyed that National Hospital has informed them about the death of three Indian nationals. Their names are Lakshami, Narayan Chandrashekhar and Ramesh. We are ascertaining further details.” “I conveyed to the Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka that India is ready to provide all humanitarian assistance. In case required, we are ready to despatch our medical teams as well,” read other Tweet from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader. Even an official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs condemned the serial blasts in Sri Lanka. “India has always opposed and rejected terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and has urged concerted action by the international community against terrorism, including cross-border terrorism. There can be no justification whatsoever for any act of terror,” the official statement read.

Indian High Commission in Colombo has conveyed that National Hospital has informed them about the death of three Indian nationals. Their names are Lokashini, Narayan Chandrashekhar and Ramesh. We are ascertaining further details. /3

— Chowkidar Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) April 21, 2019

The blasts - one of the deadliest attacks in the country's history - targeted St Anthony's Church in Colombo, St Sebastian's Church in the western coastal town of Negombo and Zion Church in the eastern town of Batticaloa around 8.45 am (local time) as the Easter Sunday mass were in progress, police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said. Explosions were reported from three five-star hotels - the Shangri-La, the Cinnamon Grand and the Kingsbury in Colombo. No group has claimed responsibility for Sunday's attacks. Briefing reporters, Gunasekera said the police was not able to confirm at the moment if they were all suicide attacks. He, however, said that one of the blasts at the Katuwapitiya (Negombo) church has signs of being what looked like a suicide attack. An unnamed official said a suicide bomber blew himself up at the restaurant of the Cinnamon Grand hotel. When a police team entered a house in the Colombo north suburb of Orugodawatta to conduct a search, a suicide bomber blew himself up causing a concrete floor of a two-storey building to crash on them, killing three policemen in the eighth blast, police said. Soon after the eighth blast, the government imposed curfew with immediate effect. The curfew will be in force indefinitely until further notice, officials said.