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Death toll in Sri Lanka blasts climbs to 310

Many foreigner tourists were among the victims

NEW DELHI, April 23. /TASS/. The death toll in a series of explosions in Sri Lanka has soared to 310, The Quint news portal reported on Tuesday citing the island country’s police.

Earlier reports said 290 people were killed in the blasts.

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On April 21, six simultaneous blasts hit Sri Lanka at around 8.45 a.m. The first explosion occurred near St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade, followed by the second blast near St. Sebastian Catholic Church in Negambo, some 30 km to the north of Colombo. The third explosion was carried out at a church in Batticaloa in the country’s east. Nearly at the same time other explosions ripped through the hotels of Shangri-La, Cinnamon Grand and Kingsbury. The seventh blast later occurred near the capital’s zoo and the eighth explosion was reported in Dematagoda.

The blasts, the worst in the country’s history, occurred as Christians in Sri Lanka gathered to celebrate Easter. Many foreigner tourists were among those who were staying at the hotels. The Jamaat al-Tawhid al-Watania group has claimed responsibility for the terrorist attacks.

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