Colombo: The St. Sebastian’s Church in the western coastal town of Negombo bore the brunt of a series of powerful blasts across Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, with a top priest saying pieces of flesh were thrown all over the walls and on the sanctuary and even outside of the church.
Over 215 people were killed and 500 injured when eight near simultaneous and coordinated explosions rocked three churches and three luxury hotels frequented by tourists in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, officials said.
Lankan media reports the Negombo Hospital reported over 74 deaths and received 113 injured people from the Sebastian’s Church. Father Edmond Tillekeratne, social communications director for the Archdiocese of Colombo, said the blast took place after Easter Mass, and there were 30 bodies lying in the area of the church.
He said three priests had been celebrating the mass at the time of the blast. Two were badly injured by flying glass and debris, and one was only lightly injured as he was behind the altar. He estimated over a thousand people had come to the church for Easter Sunday “because it is a special day”. Many came from villages, he said. He described the ground as covered in rubble and shattered glass.
“You can see pieces of flesh all over the walls and on the sanctuary and even outside of the church,” he told CNN. The church, built in 1946, is one of the many churches in Sri Lanka dedicated to St Sebastian who is considered a martyr in the Catholic Church history.
The Archbishop of Colombo has demanded those responsible for the Easter Sunday blasts in Sri Lanka to be punished “mercilessly”. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, in a strong statement, urged the government to launch a “very impartial strong inquiry” and to punish those found responsible “mercilessly because only animals can behave like that”.
All easter masses in the Colombo District have been cancelled, the Cardinal announced. The Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo, the site of one of the explosions, released a statement, saying it was one of the several locations in Colombo which were affected by the attacks.
“We are deeply saddened and shocked by the incident and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the casualties and those who have been affected. “We are working closely with local authorities and emergency services to provide our fullest assistance and support to the affected staff and guests.
“Our immediate priority is to look after the safety and wellbeing of all involved. A Shangri-La crisis management team has been activated to provide all necessary support. Meanwhile, the archbishop of Paris and parishioners of fire-ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral are mourning the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka.
Archbishop Michel Aupetit tweeted: “Why so much hate on this day when we celebrate love? On this Easter day, we are in communion with our murdered brethren of Sri Lanka.” Aupetit celebrated Easter Mass for worshippers displaced from normal services at Notre Dame because of Monday’s fire. The head of the EU’s executive Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, said he learned of the bombings “with horror and sadness”.
UN Secy Gen Antonio Guterres expressed outrage over the bombings and called for “swift justice” to the perpetrators. ,“The Secretary-General reiterates the support and solidarity of the United Nations with the people and the Government of Sri Lanka in this difficult moment for the nation,” the statement said.
