Five Indians among 290 killed in Sri Lanka blasts; over 500 injured
Five Indian was among the 290 who killed in the multiple explosions that rippled with Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday. The external affairs minister of India Sushma Swaraj revealed the Indian High Commission as saying that it had been informed by the National Hospital in the Colombo about the death of the three Indian nationals: Narayan, Lakshmi, and Ramesh. On a Monday, the Indian Embassy in the Sri Lanka also stated that the two more people, M Rangappa and KG Hanumantharappa have also died in the attack. While on the other hand, Kerala government has also stated that a sixth person, hailing from Kerala has also died in the blasts, the same has not been confirmed as of now by the government of India yet.
Sushma Swaraj added in a tweet, “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.”
Earlier on the Sunday, the Kerala government has also stated that the 61-year-old Indian women, Razeena from the Kerala state were among those who killed in the blasts. While some of the details of the other three Indians are being ascertained, the Kerala state government said that it has also taken some of the action to bring the Razeena body back to the state.
“The action to bring the body of Razeena, a native of Mogral Puthur, from Sri Lankan capital Colombo has been progressing. The authorities of the Department of Non-Resident Keralite Affairs have been in constant touch with the Sri Lankan High Commissioner’s office and with her relatives,” a statement from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s office said. Razeena and her husband, who hail from Kasargod in Kerala, live in Dubai and were staying at one of the three hotels in Colombo targeted by the suicide bombers.
As of now, 290 people were killed and 500 others were injured in eight explosions across the different locations in the Sri Lanka on the Easter Sunday. The first of the eight blasts took place in the morning in the three luxury hotels in the heart of the Colombo city and in a church each in Colombo, Negombo, and in the Tamil majority Batticaloa town in the Island east that was also once in a Tamil Tiger stronghold. At the time of the afternoon, at around 2 pm, another blast also took place at a guest house near the zoo in the Dehiwala in the Colombo, which killed two persons and a housing complex at Dematogoda in the city, which even leaves three policemen died.
Sri Lankan police have arrested more than 25 people in connection with the attack, new agency revealed today. As of now, it is not clear who is behind the attack.
The Sri Lankan foreign ministry released a statement which states that the number of foreign nationals who have also been identified as a deceased at the National Hospital in the Colombo which stands at 11.
