At Least 31 Expats Killed During Easter Sunday Terror Bombing

As the Sri Lanka death toll continues to rise, the number of expatriates who died in the terror attack is becoming clearer.

The majority of victims killed or injured in the devastating Easter Sunday terrorist attack were Sri Lankan members of the country’s Christian minority, but it’s now becoming clear at least 31 expatriates lost their lives. Information is slow in coming out as the Sri Lankan authorities have blocked the use of social media in order to prevent the possibility of revenge attacks on local Muslim communities. The risk of retaliation is now higher, as ISIS are believed to be behind the atrocities. Victims’ homes near St Sebastian’s church are now showing small white flags as a sign of a family in mourning.

According to the Sri Lankan embassy in the UK, to date eight Britons are amongst the dead, including lawyer Anita Nicholson, her son and her daughters. The family were holidaying at the Shangri La-Hotel, and their deaths were confirmed by husband and father Ben Nicholson. A British expat couple living in Australia also died as a result of a bomb blast in another hotel. In London, Matthew Lindsay, father of 19-year old Daniel and 15-year old Amelie, told the media his two children had survived the first Shangri-La explosion, but died when the second bomb went off. At the present time, the US State Department believes at least four American nationals died in the blasts, with several more seriously injured. No further details were given by the department.

One fifth-grade expatriate student on a year’s furlough from Washington’s Sidwell Friends School is known to be among the victims, and a Denverbased businessman who’d arrived on a working trip also lost his life. Holch Povlsen, owner of Danish clothing chain Bestseller, lost three of his children in the blasts, and three Swiss nationals are known to have died, along with two Spanish nationals. According to the Australian PM, a mother and her daughter lost their lives whilst at a church service in Negombo, and five Chinese nationals are still missing, with another known to have died and several more seriously injured. Authorities in Portugal, Japan and the Netherlands have confirmed nationals were amongst those who lost their lives, but are giving no further details at present.