Sri Lanka blasts death count rises to 310, police arrest 40 suspects

The death count in Sri Lanka bombings rose to 310 with several people dying of their injuries overnight, a police spokesman said on Tuesday. Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena has declared nationwide emergency in the country. Around 500 people were wounded in the blasts. 40 people have been arrested in connection with the attacks, which Sri Lanka's government has blamed on a previously little-known local Islamist group, National Thowheeth Jama'ath. However, no group has claimed responsibility for Sunday's attacks.

The blasts - one of the deadliest attacks in the country's history - targeted St Anthony's Church in Colombo, St Sebastian's Church in the western coastal town of Negombo and Zion Church in the eastern town of Batticaloa around 8.45 a.m. (local time) as the Easter Sunday mass were in progress, police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said. Explosions were reported from three five-star hotels - the Shangri-La, the Cinnamon Grand and the Kingsbury in Colombo.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that an investigation must be launched as to why intelligence reports of the attack was not taken seriously. President Maithripala Sirisena has appointed a three-member committee to conduct investigations.

The blasts - the deadliest attacks in the country's history shattered a decade of peace in the island nation since the end of the brutal civil war with the LTTE.

High Commission of India in Sri Lanka also confirmed death of two more Indian nationals, K G Hanumantharayappa and M Rangappa in the bomb blasts yesterday. So far, death of nine Indians have killed in Sri Lanka blasts. Also, seven JDS members who travelled to Sri Lanka are missing. These JDS members left to Sri Lanka on 20th of April after finishing Election Campaigning for Veerappa Moily.