MINUTES BEFORE BLAST, SRI LANKA SUICIDE BOMBER STOOD IN LINE FOR BREAKFAST BUFFET : ALL LATEST UPDATE HERE

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By Behindwoods News Bureau | Apr 22, 2019 12:08 PM

The nation was shocked to hear after a series of eight devastating bomb blasts ripped through high-end hotels and churches holding Easter services in Sri Lanka on Sunday, that killed more than 290 people, including dozens of foreigners with more than 400 injured.

Sri Lanka Suicide Bomber stood in line at Hotel Buffet, Then Set Off T

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the government said eight people had been arrested and investigators would look into whether the attackers had "overseas links". At least two of them involved suicide bombers, including one who lined up at a hotel breakfast buffet before unleashing carnage.

Soon after the attack, Sri Lanka imposed a nationwide curfew and curbed social media access to prevent "wrong information" from spreading in the country of 21 million people. Speaking about the latest update:

According to NDTV, the suicide bomber waited patiently in a queue for the Easter Sunday breakfast buffet at Sri Lanka's Cinnamon Grand hotel before setting off explosives strapped to his back. The man, identified as Mohamed Azzam Mohamed, was seen carrying a plate and standing in the line. He had registered at the hotel the night before as Mohamed Azzam Mohamed and was just about to be served when he set off his devastating strike in the packed restaurant.

While speaking to AFP, a manager at the Sri Lankan hotel said, "The Taprobane restaurant at the hotel was having one of its busiest days of the year for the Easter holiday weekend. It was 8:30 am and it was busy. There were families. Mohamed came up to the top of the queue and set off the blast. One of our managers who was welcoming guests was among those killed instantly. The bomber also died. Parts of his body were found intact by police and taken away."

While other hotel officials told how the bomber, a Sri Lankan, checked in giving an address that turned out to be false, saying he was in the city for business. Two other hotels, the Shangri-La and the Kingsbury, were hit at about the same time, along with three churches packed with worshippers attending Easter Sunday services.

The Kingsbury is also one of Colombo's most expensive hotels, positioned near the city's World Trade Center. In a statement on its Facebook page, the hotel said: "On behalf of the entire Kingsbury team we share in the shock, grief and mourning of our entire nation in the aftermath of the recent attack. Medical evacuation and treatment of the injured guests and employees were handled immediately."

Tags : #SRI LANKA BLASTS #SUICIDE BOMBER #SHANGRI-LA #KINGSBURY #HOTEL BUFFET #EASTER SUNDAY #COLOMBO