Death toll in Sri Lanka serial blasts rises to 290

The death toll could possibly rise even further with many of the injured in a serious condition.

The death toll in the aftermath of Sunday's ghastly multiple explosions in Colombo and other parts of Sri Lanka climbed to 290 on Monday.

Reuters, quoting a police spokesperson, reported that 290 people have died while the number of wounded is in excess of 500. PTI, quoting officials in Sri Lanka, added that at least six Indians are among the dead although the country's foreign ministry, in its most recent statement, put the number at three.

A national curfew was put in place on Sunday and was lifted only at 0600hrs on Monday, hours before security personnel found and disposed of an IED near Colombo's airport. Schools, however, remain shut.

Local media reports said that 24 suspects have been arrested so far in connection with Sunday's explosions.

Sri Lanka is trying to pick itself up from the pieces of an attack that has shaken the world community with its brazen and malicious intent and execution. The explosions primarily targeted a number of churches in Colombo and its suburbs on the occasion of Easter. Sri Lanka only has a six per cent Catholic population and thousands had come out to celebrate on a sunny Sunday which would soon be covered by the proverbial dark clouds.

Ranil Wickremesinghe, the country's Prime Minister, had admitted late on Sunday that there had been reports warning of possible attacks in Sri Lanka but that the response to these had been inadequate.