Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik strongly condemned the suicide bombings in Sri Lanka that took the lives of over 185 people and injured more than 400 persons today on the occasion of Easter.
He tweeted, “Strongly condemn the gruesome terror attacks in #Colombo, Sri Lanka. Such dastardly acts on peaceful congregations & citizens have no place in civilised societies. My sincere condolences to the bereaved families and wish strength to the government & people of #SriLanka”
Reportedly, three luxury hotels and three churches in Sri Lanka were targeted by bombers today morning. The mayhem began in the morning at the St Anthony’s Shrine at Kochchikade in Colombo where hundreds had gathered for the Easter Mass and within half an hour, similar explosions ripped through the St Sebastian’s Church in Negombo, 30 km from Colombo, and the Zion Church in the eastern district of Batticaloa, 250 km east of Colombo.
Almost simultaneously, suicide bombers also killed themselves amid Easter crowds in three luxury hotels in the heart of Colombo: Cinnamon Grand, near the official residence of the Sri Lankan Prime Minister, The Shangri La and Kingsbury Hotel, raining death and destruction.
Later in the afternoon, two more explosions were reported from two Colombo neighbourhoods including Dehiwala area. In total, eight explosions rocked the Colombo city and killed hundreds today. Following this, a curfew has been imposed in the area.
(With IANS inputs)