Sri Lanka blasts: 4 JDS workers, vacationing in Colombo, killed in Easter tragedy

Two Janata Dal (Secular) workers, who went to Sri Lanka on a holiday on April 20, have were killed in Sunday’s blasts. They were part of a seven-member team and belonged to the Chikkaballapur district of Karnataka. They have been identified as Lakshmana Gowda Ramesh, KM Lakshminarayan, M Rangappa and KG Hanumantharayappa. The other three others are H ShivuKumar, A Maregowda and H Puttaraju. They had left for a vacation after campaigning for Congress leader Veerappa Moily, who is contesting from the Chikkaballapura Lok Sabha constituency in the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections. They were reportedly staying at the Shangri-La hotel in Colombo.

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Monday said, “EAM Sushma Swaraj has confirmed death of 2 Kannadigas, KG Hanumantharayappa & M Rangappa, in the bomb blasts in Colombo. I'm deeply shocked at the loss of our JD(S) party workers, whom I know personally. We stand with their families in this hour of grief.”

Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Police said 24 people have been arrested in connection with the bomb blasts that ripped through churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on Sunday. 

In the worst terror attack in Sri Lanka, a series of eight bomb blasts shook high-end hotels and churches holding Easter services across the island nation. The death count as of now stands at 290, of which six are Indians. As per the reports coming in from Sri Lanka, at least two of the eight attacks were carried out by suicide bombers.  

The blasts targeted St Anthony’s Church in Colombo, St Sebastian’s Church in the western coastal town of Negombo and another church in the eastern town of Batticaloa around 8.45 am when worshipers were attending Easter services, Sri Lankan police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said.

Three explosions were reported from the five-star hotels - the Shangri-La, the Cinnamon Grand and the Kingsbury.  One explosion was reported from a hotel near the Dehiwala Zoo.

(With inputs from agencies)