Sri Lanka bombings death toll rises to 310

International Desk: Sri Lankans have observed three minutes of silence at the start of a national day of mourning for the victims of Sunday’s bomb attacks.

The death toll in the bomb attacks rises to 310, with some 500 injured.

Parliament will resume on Tuesday (April 23) with a statement expected from the prime minister.

A second night of national curfew lifted at 4am local time but a state of emergency came into force at midnight on Monday night.

Local victims and those injured are to receive financial compensation.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks but questions continue to be asked about what the Sri Lankan government knew about the bombings prior to Sunday.

On Monday it emerged that authorities were warned of possible incidents two weeks ago.

Interpol has deployed a response at the request of Sri Lankan authorities.

Besides, the first memorial services for victims of Sunday’s blasts are expected to take place on Tuesday. They will follow the three minutes of silence observed at 8.30am local time during which most flags on most government buildings were lowered to half mast.

40 people have now been arrested in relation to Sunday’s attacks, citing a police spokesman.

A blackout on social media in Sri Lanka continues.

The US embassy in Colombo has also issued a warning about a suspicious package and advised people to avoid the area of Kopetty Railroad station.

Sri Lankan media outlet RepublicNext is reporting that the bomb disposal squad has been called to Kollupitiya railway station in Colombo after an unattended package was found in a compartment of a Puttalam-Mount Lavinia train.

One of the suicide bombers who blew himself up in an attack last Sunday had been a suspect who was arrested a few months ago in connection with an incident in Mawanella in which Buddha statues were damaged, highways minister Kabir Hashim said at a press conference on Monday night.

“One of my security officers was attacked in the incident. A few suspects were arrested and some of them were released later. It was found that one of them had been the suicide bomber of an attack that took place last Sunday. I am in the process of receiving more information on this,” he said.

Agencies


risingbd/Dhaka/Apr 23, 2019/Nasim