A STRING OF blasts ripped through high-end hotels and churches holding Easter services in Sri Lanka yesterday, killing over 200 people, including 35 foreigners.

Curfew has been imposed immediately “until further notice”, police said.

Earlier, Sri Lanka’s defence ministry ordered a night-time curfew after the eight blasts. The curfew began last night at 6pm local time (7.30pm Thailand time) and runs until 6am local time (7.30am Thailand time), the ministry said.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe condemned the attacks as “cowardly” and said the government was working to “contain the situation”.

The powerful blasts – six in quick succession and then two more hours later – wrought devastation, including at the capital’s well-known St Anthony’s Shrine, a historic Catholic Church. Police confirmed the eighth blast – which hit the suburb of Orugodawatta in the north of the capital – was a suicide bomb.

Hospital sources said British, Dutch and American citizens were among the 158 dead overall, with Britons and Japanese also injured. A Portuguese man also died, the country’s LUSA news agency reported.

The government said it is imposing a “temporary” social media ban.

“The government has decided to block all social media platforms in order to prevent incorrect and wrong information being spread. This is only a temporary measure,” Udaya R Seneviratne, secretary to the president, said in a statement.

Images circulating on social media and local news stations showed extensive damage at one of three churches targeted in the near simultaneous blasts yesterday morning.

Much of the church roof was blown out in the explosion, with roof tiles and splintered wood littering the floor and pools of blood in between wounded worshippers. The injured flooded into local hospitals, where officials reported hundreds of wounded were being admitted.

Documents seen by AFP show that Sri Lanka’s police chief Pujuth Jayasundara issued an intelligence alert to top officers 10 days ago, warning that suicide bombers planned to hit “prominent churches”.

“A foreign intelligence agency has reported that the NTJ (National Thowheeth Jama’ath) is planning to carry out suicide attacks targeting prominent churches as well as the Indian high commission in Colombo,” the alert said. The NTJ is a radical Muslim group in Sri Lanka that was linked last year to the vandalisation of Buddhist statues.

The first blast was reported at St Anthony’s Shrine, a well-known Catholic church in the capital Colombo. A second deadly explosion was then confirmed at St Sebastian’s, a church in the town of Negombo, north of the capital.

“A bomb attack to our church, please come and help if your family members are there,” read a post in English on the church’s Facebook page.

Soon after, police confirmed that a third church in the town of Batticaloa had been hit, along with three high-end hotels in the capital.

Hospital sources said British, Dutch and American citizens were among the dead, with Britons and Japanese among those injured in the attacks.

President Maithripala Sirisena said in an address that he was shocked by the explosions and appealed for calm, and the prime minister was expected to speak to the media shortly.

On Twitter, Wickremesinghe wrote: “I strongly condemn the cowardly attacks on our people today.

“I call upon all Sri Lankans during this tragic time to remain united and strong. Please avoid propagating unverified reports and speculation. The government is taking immediate steps to contain this situation.”

The hotels targeted in the attack are all popular destinations for tourists, among them the Cinnamon Grand, which is near the prime minister’s official residence in Colombo.

An official at the hotel said the blast there had hit the restaurant, and reported at least one person had been killed.

At the Shangri-La hotel, a photographer saw extensive damage on the second floor restaurant, with windows blown out and electrical wires hanging from the ceiling.

“Emergency meeting called in a few minutes. Rescue operations underway,” Sri Lanka’s Minister of Economic Reforms and Public Distribution, Harsha de Silva, said in a tweet on his verified account. He said he had been to two of the attacked hotels and was at the scene at St Anthony’s Shrine, where he described “horrible scenes”.

“I saw many body parts strewn all over,” he tweeted, adding that there were “many casualties including foreigners”.

“Please stay calm and indoors,” he added.

Embassies in Colombo warned their citizens to shelter in place, and Sri Lankan Airlines told customers to arrive at the airport four hours ahead of flights because of ramped-up security in the wake of the attacks.

Only around six per cent of mainly Buddhist Sri Lanka is Catholic, but the religion is seen as a unifying force because it includes people from both the Tamil and majority Sinhalese ethnic groups. There have been no attacks in Sri Lanka linked to foreign Islamist groups, despite local media reports that a 37-year-old Sri Lankan was killed in Syria in 2016 while fighting for the Islamic State group.

In January, Sri Lankan police seized a haul of explosives and detonators stashed near a wildlife sanctuary following the arrest of four men from a newly formed radical Muslim group.

Carrying a plate, the man, who had registered at the hotel the night before as Mohamed Azzam Mohamed, was just about to be served when he set off his devastating strike in the packed restaurant, a manager at the Sri Lankan hotel said.

”There was utter chaos,” said the manager, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity as he is not allowed to speak for the company.

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. It was families,” the manager told AFP. ”He came up to the top of the queue and set off the blast,” he added.

”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.

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 blast at St Anthony’s Shrine, an historic Catholic Church, was so powerful that it blew out much of the roof, leaving roof tiles, glass and splintered wood littering the floor that was strewn with bodies.

Authorities have not said who staged the attacks. But all suffered major casualties and damage. Many of the 35 foreigners killed in the blasts were at the hotels, officials said.

-‘Shock, grief and mourning’

”There was utter chaos, but we rushed all the injured to hospital in a very short time,” the Cinnamon Grand manager said.

”About 20 people were seriously wounded and we sent them to the National Hospital.”

The hotel is close to the Sri Lankan prime minister’s official residence and Special Task Force commandos were quickly at the scene.

At the Shangri-La, witnesses said they heard two loud blasts and that staff reported some people had been killed. But details of the toll were not immediately given.

An AFP photographer saw extensive damage in the second floor restaurant at the hotel, with windows blown out and electrical wires hanging from the ceiling.

The Shangri-La said in a statement that the bomb hit at approximately 9am local time at its Table One restaurant.

”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,” it said.

”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.”

The Kingsbury is also one of Colombo’s most expensive hotels, positioned near the city’s World Trade Center. The toll there was not known.

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.”

The hotel said it had been “isolated” for further safety checks.

Hospital sources also said Japanese citizens were among those injured by the bombs which ripped through high-end hotels and churches holding Easter services.

Here is a summary of the reactions:

Britain: ‘Stand together’ 

British Prime Minister Theresa May described the attacks as “truly appalling”.

“The acts of violence against churches and hotels in Sri Lanka are truly appalling, and my deepest sympathies go out to all of those affected at this tragic time,” she tweeted.

“We must stand together to make sure that no one should ever have to practise their faith in fear.”

Trump: ‘Ready to help’ 

Francis expressed his sadness over the attacks during his traditional Easter address at the Vatican.

“I want to express my affectionate closeness with the Christian community, attacked while it was at prayer, and to all the victims of such cruel violence,” he said.

The Catholic Church in Jerusalem had said in an earlier statement: “We pray for the souls of the victims and ask for speedy recovery of the injured, and ask God to inspire the terrorists to repent of their killing and intimidation.”

Australia: ‘Terrorist attack’

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a statement: “To the beautiful people of Sri Lanka, Australia sends its heartfelt sympathies and our prayers and our support — and our offer to do whatever we can to support you in this terrible time of need.

“At this time as Easter Sunday draws to a conclusion here in Australia, our heart goes out to those Christians and all of those other innocents who have been slaughtered today in this horrific terrorist attack.”

New Zealand: ‘Devastating’ 

A month after dozens of Muslims were killed in a shooting at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described the Sri Lanka attack as “devastating”.

“New Zealand condemns all acts of terrorism, and our resolve has only been strengthened by the attack on our soil on the 15th of March. To see an attack in Sri Lanka while people were in churches and at hotels is devastating.

“New Zealand rejects all forms of extremism and stands for freedom of religion and the right to worship safely. Collectively we must find the will and the answers to end such violence.”

Pakistan: ‘Horrific’ 

Pakistan’s leader Imran Khan offered his “profound condolences” to Sri Lanka.

“Strongly condemn the horrific terrorist attack in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday resulting in precious lives lost & hundreds injured,” he tweeted.

“My profound condolences go to our Sri Lankan brethren. Pakistan stands in complete solidarity with Sri Lanka in their hour of grief.”

India: ‘Cold blooded’

Narendra Modi, the leader of neighbouring India, condemmned the “serial terrorist attacks” in a government statement.

“Terming them as cold-blooded and pre-planned barbaric acts, he pointed out that these attacks were another grim reminder of the most serious challenge posed to the entire humanity by terrorism in our region and the entire world,” the statement added.

“There is no place for such barbarism in our region,” he tweeted earlier.

EU: ‘Sad day for the world’ 

EU commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker expressed his “horror and sadness” at the blasts, while EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the attacks marked “a truly sad day for the country and for the world”.

“Such acts of violence on this holy day are acts of violence against all beliefs and denominations, and against all those who value the freedom of religion and the choice to worship,” she added in a statement.

France: ‘Odious acts’ 

“We strongly condemn these odious acts,” French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on Twitter.

“Full solidarity with the Sri Lanka people and our thoughts for all those close to the victims this Easter.”

Germany: ‘Malicious attack’ 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said “religious hate and intolerance that have showed themselves in such a terrible way today must not win”.

“It is shocking that people who gathered to celebrate Easter together were consciously targeted in this malicious attack,” Merkel said in a statement published by a spokeswoman on Twitter.

Russia: ‘Cynical crime’

“I would like to reassert that Russia has been and remains a reliable partner of Sri Lanka in combating the threat of international terrorism,” Vladimir Putin said in a Kremlin statement.

“I expect that the masterminds and perpetrators of such a heinous and cynical crime committed in the midst of Easter celebrations will get the punishment they deserve.”

– Israel: ‘Deep shock’ –

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expresses in the name of Israel’s citizens deep shock over the murderous attacks against innocent civilians in Sri Lanka,” a government statement said.

“Israel is willing to aid the authorities in Sri Lanka in this difficult time. The whole world must unite in the struggle against the scourge of terror.”

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe condemned the attacks as “cowardly” and said the government was working to “contain the situation”.

Images circulating on social media and local news stations showed extensive damage at one of three churches targeted in the near simultaneous blasts on Sunday morning.

Much of the church roof was blown out in the explosion, with roof tiles and splintered wood littering the floor and pools of blood in between wounded worshippers.

The injured flooded into local hospitals, where officials reported hundreds of wounded were being admitted.

– Police chief warning –

AFP / Sébastien CASTERAN

Blasts hit Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa

The nature of the blasts was not immediately clear and there were no immediate claims of responsibility.

But documents seen by AFP show that Sri Lanka’s police chief Pujuth Jayasundara issued an intelligence alert to top officers 10 days ago, warning that suicide bombers planned to hit “prominent churches”.

“A foreign intelligence agency has reported that the NTJ (National Thowheeth Jama’ath) is planning to carry out suicide attacks targeting prominent churches as well as the Indian high commission in Colombo,” the alert said.

The NTJ is a radical Muslim group in Sri Lanka that was linked last year to the vandalisation of Buddhist statues.

The first blast was reported at St Anthony’s Shrine, a well-known Catholic church in the capital Colombo.

AFP / ISHARA S. KODIKARA

The first explosions were reported at St Anthony’s Shrine (pictured) in Colombo and St Sebastian’s Church in the town of Negombo just outside the capital

A second deadly explosion was then confirmed at St Sebastian’s, a church in the town of Negombo, north of the capital.

“A bomb attack to our church, please come and help if your family members are there,” read a post in English on the church’s Facebook page.

Soon after, police confirmed that a third church in the town of Batticaloa had been hit, along with three high-end hotels in the capital.

Hospital sources said British, Dutch and American citizens were among the dead, with Britons and Japanese among those injured in the attacks.

– ‘Cowardly attacks’ –

President Maithripala Sirisena said in an address that he was shocked by the explosions and appealed for calm, and the prime minister was expected to speak to the media shortly.

On Twitter, Wickremesinghe wrote: “I strongly condemn the cowardly attacks on our people today.

“I call upon all Sri Lankans during this tragic time to remain united and strong. Please avoid propagating unverified reports and speculation. The government is taking immediate steps to contain this situation.”

AFP / ISHARA S. KODIKARA   Police said 42 people were killed in Colombo, where three hotels and a church were hit

The hotels targeted in the attack are all popular destinations for tourists, among them the Cinnamon Grand, which is near the prime minister’s official residence in Colombo.

An official at the hotel told AFP the blast there had hit the restaurant, and reported at least one person had been killed.

At the Shangri-La hotel, an AFP photographer saw extensive damage on the second floor restaurant, with windows blown out and electrical wires hanging from the ceiling.

– ‘Horrible scenes’ –

“Emergency meeting called in a few minutes. Rescue operations underway,” Sri Lanka’s Minister of Economic Reforms and Public Distribution, Harsha de Silva, said in a tweet on his verified account.

AFP / ISHARA S. KODIKARA

The restaurant area of the luxury Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo was hit

He said he had been to two of the attacked hotels and was at the scene at St Anthony’s Shrine, where he described “horrible scenes”.

“I saw many body parts strewn all over,” he tweeted, adding that there were “many casualties including foreigners”.

“Please stay calm and indoors,” he added.

Embassies in Colombo warned their citizens to shelter in place, and Sri Lankan Airlines told customers to arrive at the airport four hours ahead of flights because of ramped-up security in the wake of the attacks.

Only around six percent of mainly Buddhist Sri Lanka is Catholic, but the religion is seen as a unifying force because it includes people from both the Tamil and majority Sinhalese ethnic groups.

There have been no attacks in Sri Lanka linked to foreign Islamist groups, despite local media reports that a 37-year-old Sri Lankan was killed in Syria in 2016 while fighting for the Islamic State group.

In January, Sri Lankan police seized a haul of explosives and detonators stashed near a wildlife sanctuary following the arrest of four men from a newly formed radical Muslim group

Recent surveys suggest the times are changing once more, as children are opting to perform in front of the much smaller camera of a personal computer as a YouTuber, or as it is more commonly known here, “YouTube Creator.”

“When I first started YouTube, a lot of the older kids came up to me and left me gifts in my bag. It was a bit overwhelming at first, but I’ve gotten used to talking to strangers,” said Son Esther, or “Pretty Esther,” one of the more popular kid creators in Korea.

Uploading videos about her everyday life, ongoing fads and regular stuff kids her age — third graders — can relate to, she has on a path toward the most coveted career among children here. That is at least according to a survey by local publishing company Chunjae Gyoyuk, which found that “online content creator” ranked No. 1 (15.3 percent) on the list of elementary and middle school students’ dream jobs.

Child actor Lee Chae-yoon said she did not get a ton of recognition for her acting career, but this changed with the launch of her YouTube channel a little over a year ago. While she is not yet among the leaders among her peers with some 55,000 subscribers, her channel has been seeing rapid growth.

“One of the good things about YouTube is the way of communication is always open. I sometimes hold Q&A sessions and write comments to them,” 13-year-old Lee said.

Esther, in her third year as a YouTuber, also noted open communication as one of the best things about YouTube.

“Sometimes when I’m sick or taking a day off, people would write comments of concern and look to cheer me up. This is among the things most memorable (about being a YouTuber),” she said.

Being a pint-sized celebrity has touched upon both of their lives, as Esther is more comfortable talking to strangers and Lee feels more at home communicating with anyone at all.

“I used to never talk to people, being shy and not really hanging out with friends. But now I’m much more social and open to talking in front of people,” Lee said.

Being on YouTube can also be tough, she noted.

“As a child actor I would do just what I’ve memorized, but here, I have to create my own lines and edit my own videos. It’s more demanding but more fun at the same time,” she said.

Lee hopes to continue both her acting and YouTube careers, much like her idol Shin Se-kyung, one of the most popular actors in Korea and a budding YouTuber. She recently branched out to reviews of aesthetic products and clothes, but can cover any topic people can relate to.

Esther said she gets many of the ideas from YouTube itself, picking up on what is trending.

“My channel is mostly about the subjects that elementary school students can relate to, which is one of the best things about being a kid creator,” she said.

Relating to viewers is widely considered key in being a successful YouTuber, particularly among child YouTubers. Channels run by children deal mostly with topics that children can relate to, like US YouTuber Ryan of “Ryan ToysReview” who is estimated to have made about $21 million in the span of 12 months — while still 7 years old.

Dia TV, a branch of CJ ENM that supports online content creators, recently created the “Seeds of Happiness” music video series, jointly created by the kid creators based on their actual stories.

Esther’s story is about how she started creating YouTube content as a way to spend more time with her father, who is now deeply involved in her work as a YouTuber. As with the content of Lee and Esther, the content of the video is something most children their age can relate to.

Both are hoping YouTube will be a part of their future.

“I want to upload videos in between my acting jobs, like Shin Se-kyung does. I wish to keep communicating with the people through YouTube,” Lee said.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said at least 45 people had been killed in Colombo, where three hotels and a church were hit.

Another 67 were killed in an attack on a church in Negombo north of the capital, with another 25 dead at a church in the town of Batticaloa, in the east of the country.

The nature of the blasts was not immediately clear and there were no immediate claims of responsibility.

President Maithripala Sirisena in an address said he was shocked by the explosions and appealed for calm.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe wrote on Twitter: “I strongly condemn the cowardly attacks on our people today.

“I call upon all Sri Lankans during this tragic time to remain united and strong. Please avoid propagating unverified reports and speculation. The government is taking immediate steps to contain this situation.”

The first explosions were reported at St Anthony’s Shrine — a church in Colombo — and St Sebastian’s Church in the town of Negombo just outside the capital.

Dozens of people injured in the St Anthony’s blast flooded into the Colombo National Hospital by mid-morning, an official told AFP.

AFP / ISHARA S. KODIKARAPolice said 42 people were killed in Colombo, where three hotels and a church were hit

“A bomb attack to our church, please come and help if your family members are there,” read a post in English on the Facebook page of the St Sebastian’s Church at Katuwapitiya in Negombo.

Shortly after those blasts were reported, police confirmed three hotels in the capital had also been hit, along with a church in Batticaloa.

An official at one of the hotels, the Cinnamon Grand Hotel near the prime minister’s official residence in Colombo, told AFP that the blast had ripped through the hotel restaurant.

He said at least one person had been killed in the blast.

An official at the Batticaloa hospital told AFP more than 300 people had been admitted with injuries following the blast there.

“Emergency meeting called in a few minutes. Rescue operations underway,” Sri Lanka’s Minister of Economic Reforms and Public Distribution, Harsha de Silva, said in a tweet on his verified account.

He said he had been to two of the attacked hotels and was at the scene at St Anthony’s Shrine, and described “horrible scenes.”

“I saw many body parts strewn all over,” he tweeted, adding that there were “many casualties including foreigners.”

“Please stay calm and indoors,” he added.

Photos circulating on social media showed the roof of one church had been almost blown off in the blast.

The floor was littered with a mixture of roof tiles, splintered wood and blood.

Several people could be seen covered in blood, with some trying to help those with more serious injuries.

The images could not immediately be verified.

Only around six percent of mainly Buddhist Sri Lanka is Catholic, but the religion is seen as a unifying force because it includes people from both the Tamil and majority Sinhalese ethnic groups.

A series of explosions were reported at three churches and two five-star hotels in Sri Lanka’s Colombo on Sunday. At the time of the explosions, Christian faithful were praying at the churches on the occasion of Easter.

According to reports, there have been a total of six blasts. Reports say that at least 25 people may have been killed. Around 80 injured have been taken to hospitals.

Reports say that foreign tourists were among the dead.

The blasts took place at the St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade in Colombo, the St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya in Katana and a third in Batticaloa.

Sri Lankan media reports that two of the explosions occurred at the same time at around 8:45 am.

The hotels which were hit by explosions are the Shangri-La Hotel and Cinnamon Grand Hotel. Police say that the Kingsbury Hotel in the capital, too, was hit.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that two more explosions have taken place at Town Hall Red Cross building and Viharamadevi park.

Photos circulating on Twitter show rubble from tiles of the roof of St Anthony’s church and a disoriented congregation. The explosion apparently happened inside the church during the Easter mass.

St Sebastian Church has appealed for help on its Facebook page.

Police have cordoned off all the sites where the explosions took place. It is not clear what triggered the explosions but Sri Lankan security officials said they were checking for details.

The military has been called in to guard the churches and the hotels.

Initial reports suggest that church-goers may have been specifically targeted on the occasion of Easter. The Sri Lankan police are yet to issue an official statement.