Bengaluru: Four Janata Dal (Secular) leaders from Karnataka holidaying in Sri Lanka have been confirmed dead in the series of terror attacks that killed at least 290 people in the country Easter Sunday.
In a statement to the media early Monday, Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj had confirmed two deaths, identifying the duo as K.G. Hanumantharayappa and M. Rangappa. In the afternoon, he informed the public that four JD(S) workers had been identified among the Indian fatalities of the attacks, naming the other two as Lakshmana Gowda Ramesh and K.M. Lakshminarayan.
“I am deeply pained at the loss of their lives in the heinous attack. They were also committed workers of our party and their death has brought immense sorrow to us,” Kumaraswamy said.
External affairs Min. @SushmaSwaraj has confirmed the death of two Kannadigas,KG Hanumantharayappa and M Rangappa, in the bomb blasts in #Colombo.
I am deeply shocked at the loss of our JDS party workers, whom I know personally. We stand with their families in this hour of grief— H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) April 22, 2019
I am deeply pained at the loss of our people in the #colombo attacks. Out of the seven missing after the #TerrorAttack, four have been declared dead. Their names are
– Lakshmana Gowda Ramesh
– K M Lakshminarayan
– M Rangappa
– KG Hanumantharayappa
— H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) April 22, 2019
The four were among seven JD(S) members staying at Colombo’s Shangri-La hotel, one of the sites that was attacked. The three others — Shivakumar, Maregowda and Puttaraju — remain missing and are yet to contact their families in Bengaluru.
“The chief secretary’s office is in constant touch with the resident commissioner at Karnataka Bhavan, New Delhi, and the families of the victims and the missing persons for further information on them,” the chief minister said in his statement, which was also released on Twitter.
According to the chief minister’s office, the seven workers had left for Sri Lanka after polling for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections concluded on 18 April.
The chief minister’s office said they were in constant touch with Sri Lankan authorities, as well as officials at the Indian High Commission in Colombo, to confirm the whereabouts of the missing members, who are natives of Karnataka’s Tumkuru and Chikkballapur districts.
@SushmaSwaraj
We sadly confirm the deaths of the following two individuals in the blasts yesterday:
– K G Hanumantharayappa
-M Rangappa.
— India in Sri Lanka (@IndiainSL) April 22, 2019
Sri Lanka blasts
Until now, 290 people have been reported killed in the Sri Lankan serial blasts, including at least eight Indians. Starting Sunday morning, which marked Easter, bombs were detonated across eight locations in Sri Lanka, including three churches and as many hotels. Over 500 people were injured.
According to a PTI report quoting Sri Lankan authorities, 13 people have been arrested in connection with the bomb blasts. However, the government said it will not disclose the details of the suspects to prevent them from getting publicity.
“Don’t give extremists a voice. Don’t help to make them martyrs,” State Minister of Defence, Ruwan Wijewardene, told reporters when asked for details of those in custody.
Also read: Sri Lanka searches for answers after Easter terror attacks kill 290
This report has been updated with the revised toll.
Anybody getting killed is very sad reading! Can’t understand why on earth u go to srilanka in this terrible heat plus election heat.