Category: Local News

Sri Lanka’s defence minister says seven suspects have been arrested following a series of bombings that killed at least 290 people and wounded about 500 in churches and hotels on Easter Sunday.

The Sri Lankan government declared a curfew with immediate effect, junior defense minister Ruwan Wijewardene

President Maithripala Sirisena has instructed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to impose police curfew across the island with effect from 6.00 p.m. today until 6.00 a.m. tomorrow, President’s Secretary Udara R. Seneviratne said.

Another explosion is reported from the Maha Wila Udyanaya area in Dematagoda.

Another blast is reported from a reception hall near the Zoological Garden in Dehiwala.

All government schools will be closed on 22nd and 23rd of April due to the ongoing terror situation, the Education Ministry said.

At least 190 persons have been reported dead and nearly 460 injured in all six explosions were reported this morning at three churches in Kochchikade, Katana, and Batticaloa and three five-star hotels in Colombo, police said.

At least 25 people admitted to the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital from the explosion at Zion Church in Batticaloa were killed, a hospital source said.

Three more explosions are reported from Shangri-La, Cinnamon Grand and Kingsbury Hotels in Colombo.

Explosions were reported at St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade, Kotahena and St.Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya,Negombo a short while ago, police said.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe warned Power and Energy Minister Ravi Karunanayake that his Ministry and Ceylon Electricity Board officials will be held personally responsible if there were more power outages.

The Swiss Federal Court must decide whether the Tamil Tigers are a criminal group – following a complaint from the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG).

The immediate implementation of the ‘Least Cost Long Term Solar Power Generation Plan’ will save a total of Rs 266 billion for the Sri Lankan economy, the Secretary of the Solar Industries Association (SIA), Lakmal Fernando claimed today (18).

The Auditor General’s Department is to issue two special audit reports shortly on the ‘importance of the Lakvijaya power plant and its environmental impact’ and the ‘construction of the Colombo Lotus Tower’.

The rocket carrying Sri Lanka’s first ever research satellite ‘RAAVANA-1’ has successfully reached the international Space Station (ISS).

Sri Lanka has further improved its press freedom, and ranked in between Uganda and Zimbabwe in the latest version of the World Press Freedom Index compiled by the Reporters Without Borders.