Nine Indians Among Nearly 300 Dead in Sri Lanka Blasts

Sri Lankan air force officers and clergy stand outside St Anthony’s Shrine, a day after a blast in Colombo.

(Photo: AP/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

As many as nine Indians are among the nearly 300 people killed in the multiple bomb blasts that rocked Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, 21 April.

The Indian High Commission and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj have confirmed the death of eight Indians – namely Lakshmi, Narayan Chandrashekhar, Ramesh, KG Hanumantharayappa and M Rangappa, Vemurai Tulsiram, SR Nagaraj and H Shivakumar.

At least four of seven JD(S) workers from Karnataka, who were on a visit to the island nation, are among those killed in the blasts, according to Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy.

In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, Sushma Swaraj had also tweeted saying, “I am in constant touch with Indian High Commissioner in Colombo. We are keeping a close watch on the situation.”

Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday identified a Keralite, PS Rasina (58), among those also killed in the blasts. However, this has not been confirmed by the Indian government yet.

Four of the victims died in the Colombo National Hospital while the bodies of two Indians who succumbed to their injuries from the blast at the Shangri-La Hotel has been sent for autopsy, the National Hospital spokesperson said.

Twenty four suspects have been arrested so far in the blasts that left nearly 300 people dead.

Officials have said this is the worst incident violence to hit the South Asian country since its civil war ended a decade ago.

(With inputs from PTI and AP.)