Deadly Explosions at Sri Lanka Churches, Hotels Send Ripples Across Social Media

11:31 GMT, 21 April 2019

Multiple blasts ravaged several Catholic churches and big name hotels in Sri Lanka, a top tourist destination, on Easter, leaving at least 190 dead and 500 wounded. While no terroist group has claimed responsibility for the explosions, the government has announced a nationwide curfew.

Sputnik

Explosions that rocked four Sri Lankan cities during Easter mass on Sunday and a spine-chilling death toll have sent shockwaves around the world, prompting people to take to social media to address the terrifying news.

While it remains to be confirmed or denied that it was a series of terrorist attacks, users are describing the blasts at one of the world's favourite tourist destinations as terrorism.

The blasts hit St. Anthony's Shrine in Colombo, St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo, and Zion Church in Batticaloa during Easter mass.

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Other blasts ripped through three large hotels — the Cinnamon Grand, Kingsbury, and Shangri-La, with local media reporting that the death toll has reached 190 by the time of publication. It is estimated that 500 others have been wounded in the explosions.

No group has claimed responsibility for the blasts yet, but AP cited a police source as saying that Sri Lankan authorities suspect at least two of the explosions were carried out by suicide bombers.

The government has imposed a nationwide curfew and decided to temporarily shut down all social media platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp and Viber, "in order to prevent incorrect and wrong information being spread".