Translated material
Easter attack
In Sri Lanka, on the morning of April 21, explosions occurred in the country's largest city, Colombo, which some media call the capital. Luxury hotels, the Church of St. Antonio and three other Catholic churches outside the city were attacked. This was reported by Reuters .
“The Prime Minister is on his way from Bentota. The emergency meeting took place a few minutes ago. Rescue operations are underway. Please remain calm and do not leave the premises. There are many victims, including foreigners,” tweeted . government member Harsha da Silva
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe later condemned a series of bombings in Catholic churches and hotels in the country.
“I strongly condemn today's cowardly attacks on our people. I urge all Sri Lankans to remain united and strong during this tragic time. Avoid disseminating unverified information and speculation. The government is taking necessary steps to contain this situation,” he tweeted .
Almost immediately after information about the attack appeared, the airport in Sri Lanka was closed, as reported by the Indian Express . However, no one has yet claimed responsibility for the explosions.
Initially, 129 deaths were reported. wrote about this AFP with reference to health sources. The agency also clarified that nine foreigners were among the victims of the explosions. Later, 137 people were officially confirmed dead, and 280 injured were reported. According to the latest data released by the News 1st TV channel , 185 people became victims of the explosion. According to him, 40 people were killed in explosions in three hotels and one church in Colombo. The explosion at the Katuwapitya temple in Katana killed 93 people. An explosion at a church in Batticaloa killed 27 people.
The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, commented on the situation in Sri Lanka. According to her, there are no Russian citizens among the victims of explosions on the island.
“Hundreds of people were killed and injured. But the embassy continues to check this information,” she said on the Russia-24 TV channel .
Earlier, the Russian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Yuri Matery, told RIA Novosti that there were no Russians among the dead.
“According to preliminary data from the competent authorities, there are no Russian citizens among those killed or injured as a result of explosions in churches in Sri Lanka,” he said.
Later, Internet users published a video from the scene. The recording shows the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo. The video was posted on Twitter by user vijay bala.
Two more explosions reported at Shangri-la & Cinnamon Grand Hotels in Colombo! #lka #srilanka
— vijay bala (@vj2563) April 21 , 2019
Catch the Real Time Updates on Insta - @saksivarnan pic.twitter.com/SOjdZ9Rc09 https://t.co/SOjdZ9Rc09
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed condolences to his colleague Maithripala Sirisena in connection with the deaths due to explosions during the Easter celebrations.
“I would like to confirm that Russia has been and remains a reliable partner of Sri Lanka in the fight against the threat of international terrorism. I hope that the perpetrators and those who ordered such a cruel and cynical crime, committed in the midst of Easter celebrations, will suffer a well-deserved punishment,” the official website of the Russian President quotes him as saying.
Sri Lanka church blast as seen from road. #SriLanka pic.twitter.com/nISY8PMAtj
— Anshul (@chauhanshul) 21 April 2019 г.