No Filipino casualty in Sri Lanka bombings – DFA


ABS-CBN News
Posted at Apr 23 2019 04:48 PM
A view of the damage at St. Sebastian Catholic Church, after bomb blasts ripped through churches and luxury hotels on Easter, in Negambo, Sri Lanka April 22, 2019. Athit Perawongmetha, Reuters
MANILA – No Filipino was hurt in the series of bombings that gripped Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.
In a statement, the DFA said Philippine Honorary Consul to Colombo Hugh Sriyal Dissanayake was in touch with the Filipino community in the area and that "the community leaders reported that so far, there has been no report of any Filipino hurt in the explosions."
The devastating bomb attacks on hotels and churches, blamed by authorities on militants with foreign links, killed 290 people and wounded nearly 500.
Most of the dead and wounded were Sri Lankans. Sri Lankan government officials said 32 foreigners were also killed, including British, U.S., Australian, Turkish, Indian, Chinese, Danish, Portuguese and Dutch nationals.
Two Spanish citizens also died, according to Spain's Foreign Ministry.
No group has yet to claim responsibility for Easter Sunday's suicide bomb attacks.
Police spokesperson Ruwan Gunasekera said the number of people arrested since Sunday had risen from 24 to 40. They are mainly Sri Lankans, although Gunasekera said police were investigating whether foreigners were involved in the attacks carried out by seven suicide bombers.
The president's office declared that emergency law would come into effect from midnight, giving police extensive powers to detain and interrogate suspects without court orders. An overnight curfew was also put into effect. – with a report from Reuters

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