Curfew Imposed in Siri Lanka
Photo : Courtesy
At least 159 people, including 35 foreigners, were killed and 500 others hospitalised in Sri Lanka on Sunday when a string of blasts ripped through hotels and churches as worshippers attended Easter services.
The first blast was reported at St Anthony’s Shrine, a well-known Catholic church in the capital Colombo. A second deadly explosion was then confirmed at St Sebastian’s, a church in the town of Negombo, north of the capital. Soon after, police confirmed that a third church in the town of Batticaloa had been hit, along with three high-end hotels in the capital. A seventh blast was reported in Dehiwela, near the capital. According to police the eighth blast hit the suburb of Orugodawatta in the north of the capital.
The Sri Lankan government has declared a curfew with immediate effect, junior defence minister Ruwan Wijewardene has said, following the eighth explosion.
“A curfew will be imposed until things settle down,” he told the reporters in Colombo.
Government officials also has said major social media networks and messaging apps, including Facebook and WhatsApp, have been blocked inside the country to prevent misinformation and rumours.
About Author
