Sri Lankan military officials stand guard in front of St. Anthony's Shrine, Kochchikade church after an explosion in Colombo, April 21, 2019 (Photo: Reuters/Dinuka Liyanawatte)

More than 75 were killed in St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya, north of Colombo, a church in Batticaloa in Eastern Province, and St Anthony’s Church in Kochcikade, Colombo. The three hotels hit were the Shangri-La Colombo, Kingsbury Hotel and Cinnamon Grand Colombo. It was unclear whether there were any casualties in the hotels. Nine foreigners were among the dead, the officials said.

There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the bombing. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe strongly condemned the attacks and called upon all Sri Lankans to remain united and strong. He asked his citizens to avoid propagating unverified reports and speculation, adding that the government is taking immediate steps to contain the situation.