At least 25 dead and 285 wounded after several explosions in churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka

At least 42 people were killed and about 280 wounded on Sunday after a series of explosions in at least three luxury hotels and two churches in Sri Lanka, where many faithful celebrated Sunday of the Day of Resurrection.

All explosions took place around 8:45, in at least three luxury hotels in Colombo and also in one church in the capital and another in Katana, in the west of the country, about 50 kilometers to the north. informed the spokesman of Efe. Sri Lanka Police, Ruwan Gunasekara.

Hospital sources told Efe that only the Colombo National Hospital had received 25 dead bodies and 280 wounded.

Images broadcast by local media show the magnitude of the explosion in at least one of the churches. The roof of the temple is half-destroyed, the rubble and bodies scattered as people try to help them.

The faithful celebrated the Sunday of the Resurrection, the most important day of the rites of Holy Week.

Attacks on religious minorities on the island have been repeated in the past, the latest having occurred in 2018, when the government had to declare the state of emergency after clashes between Muslims and Buddhists Sinhala, causing two deaths and dozens of detainees. .

In Sri Lanka, the Christian population accounts for 7%, Buddhists 70%, Hindus 15% and Muslims 11%.