In remembrance Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019
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Our cover picture by M.A. Pushpa Kumara shows black and white mourning streamers being put up across one of the roads leading to St Anthony’s Church, Kochchikade.
A nation devastated. A country in mourning. A week after the horrific terrorist bombings of Easter Sunday in churches and hotels, Sri Lankans across the land are struggling to deal with their shock, sorrow and overwhelming loss. This week our ST Magazine is dedicated to those whose lives were lost.
The pictures published here taken by our photographers M.A. Pushpa Kumara, Amila Gamage, Ishanka Sunimal, Priyantha Wickremaarachchi, Sameera Weerasekera and Hiran Priyankara tell of the horror and anguish in the wake of the bombings, also of people from all walks of life coming together to share the pain.
St Anthony’s church, Kochchikade
St Sebastian’s church, Katuwapitiya
Zion church, Batticaloa
Blasts that shook a city: The scenes at city hotels — the Kingsbury, the Cinnamon Grand and the Shangri-La and the security forces at the later explosion at Dehiwela and raiding the suspected safe house at Dematagoda.
Dehiwela:
Shangri-la:
Cinnamon grand:
Cinnamon grand
Dematagoda:
Kingsbury:
We care: People prayed on the streets, some put up flags of mourning, others flocked to the National Blood Centre at Narahenpita to donate blood for those caught up in the blasts and one man did his bit offering bottles of water to soldiers keeping guard
A white flag and banner condemning the brutal attacks being put up at a mosque in Madampe. Pic by Augustine Fernando
Flags put up in Batticaloa in rememberance of the lost lives
Kotahena: A day after the fatal bomb blast at the St. Anthony’s Shrine in Kochchikade, a resident walks around offering bottles of water to security personnel posted in the area.(Courtesy: @KalaniWrites)
A mourner holds prayer beads during moments of silence in tribute to bomb blast victims in Colombo. LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI / AFP)
People pray outside the St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo on April 22, 2019. Mohd RASFAN / AFP
A woman prays at St. Sebastian’s Church in Negombo on April 22, 2019, a day after the blast. Jewel SAMAD / AFP
Crowds throng the National Blood Centre
A final farewell: Sorrowful scenes at Katuwapitiya and Batticaloa (below) as the victims of the Easter Sunday blasts were laid to rest
A man holds a cross during a mass burial of victims at a cemetery near St. Sebastian’s Church in Negombo, April 23, 2019. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
Burials in Batticaloa. Pic by Athiran
Hands and hearts reached out to Sri Lanka in its time of sorrow from across the world. People held vigil, prayed for lives lost and lit candles in many countries including India, Indonesia and Pakistan, while messages of solidarity and sympathy lit up the Adelaide Oval, flashed across screens in New York’s Times Square and in Paris, the iconic Eiffel Tower went dark
Indonesian students show solidarity with the victims of the Sri Lankan blasts, in Surabaya on April 22. (Photo by Juni Kriswanto / AFP)
Pakistani Christians and Muslims hold candles at a tribute to Sri Lankan bomb blast victims at the Sacred Heart Cathedral Church in Lahore on April 22, 2019. (Photo by ARIF ALI / AFP)
Multi-faith priests attend a prayer meeting to show solidarity with the victims of Sri Lanka’s serial bomb blasts outside a church in Kolkata, India, REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri
Bangladeshis pray for the lost lives during Easter Sunday attacks(Courtesy: @SamErahapola
Pakistani students carry placards and candles as they pay tribute to the Sri Lankan blast victims, at St. Mary’s High School in Lahore (Photo by ARIF ALI / AFP)
Real Madrid players observe a minute of silence for the victims of the blast in Sri Lanka prior to the home game against Athletic Bilbao
Amsterdam: “We illuminate the Central Station with the flag of Sri Lanka tonight and tomorrow evening. Our thoughts go to the victims of the attacks” (Tweet and pics from @AmsterdamNL)
A girl holds candles with others for the victims of Sri Lanka’s serial bomb blasts, in Lahore, Pakistan April 23, 2019. REUTERS
A popular billboard at the world famous Times Square, New York City read “Our thoughts are with the victims and the families of the Sri Lanka attacks”(Courtesy: @HappySriLankans)
The Eiffel Tower lights are dimmed just before midnight in Paris, as an homage to the victims of Sri Lanka bombings. Zakaria ABDELKAFI / AFP)
Indian sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik’s sand art condemning the horrific attacks in Sri Lanka
Aligarh Muslim University Students’ hold a‘Candle March’.(Courtesy: @AMUJournal)
“Tonight Adelaide Oval lights up for all those affected by the tragedy in Sri Lanka. Our thoughts and prayers are with you” (Tweet and pics courtesy: @TheAdelaideOval)
Tel Aviv Municipality Hall lit in the colours of the Sri Lankan Flag Courtesy (@TelAviv)
“The Toronto sign has been dimmed in solidarity with Sri Lanka following today’s tragic attacks. We join our Sri Lankan community and our Christian community in mourning those killed and pray for the recovery of those injured”- Toronto Mayor John Tory (@JohnTory) on Twitter
A crime scene officer retrieves a cross at Zion Church, Batticaloa. Pic by Ishanka Sunimal